Discovery and Adventure Awaits
by notjackinplural
Summary: Alex Hunter has had a strange feeling ever since she moved to Nottingham for university. One night she stumbles upon an ancient tree and wakes up in 800 years in the past in the Sherwood Forest. Who else but Robin Hood and his not so Merry Men come to her reluctant aid? Rated T just to be safe. Spoilers for Season 1.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The forest had a way of clearing her head. The English sunlight barely peaking through the dense trees that have been alive for centuries and generations, the quiet noise of nature and absence of urbanization, the peace and harmony of everything made it the perfect place for her to think. It was a simple place, yet so complex. At first glance, the colors of the forest are just green and brown, but if time and contemplation had been allowed to enter a person's life, the colors were emerald, hunter green, dark spring, and fern and forest green with hints of brown sepia and russet. There was also the occasional purple or red from a flower. It was the most beautiful place on earth to Alex Hunter.

The typical stress of university studies and life was getting to Alex, and the only thing that could calm her down was sitting in the forest outside of Nottingham and thinking, sometimes writing in her journal. She had never expected to be finding solace in a forest. She grew up in London and fell asleep to the comforting noise of cars speeding, honking, and ironically sirens. She could never imagine a forest being this big and old. All she had ever known was tall buildings, skyscrapers, concrete roads with pot holes, crowded sidewalks, and constant noise until she went away to her quaint university town. That was six months ago, and Alex had discovered a different part of herself in that short time. She expected university to be a constant motion of classes, socializing, parties, and making new memories, but it wasn't.

Alex realized the second day of being away from home and in a university that her expectations were not going to remotely be fulfilled. Classes were much harder than she expected, but still manageable, it was harder to make friends than she thought, but though she did not have many, she had bonded with her roommate and some other people she met and had become best friends with them. It was the first week of school when she discovered the forest. She had of course heard about the famed Sherwood Forest along with stories of Robin Hood and his Merry Men stealing from the cruel sheriff of Nottingham and giving to the poor. Every child grew up hearing the timeless legend about fighting against corruption and injustice and helping others that could not help themselves. During that first week, Alex got extremely lost in the town looking for a friend's house and stumbled into the large forest thinking it was a simple small park, but ended up being lost for hours. It was the last time she left her dorm without having a fully charged cell phone.

But those hours changed her. After one hour, she realized that the forest was huge and there was no chance that she was going to find her way out without a plan, so she sat down against a very large, ancient tree and tried to think of a way to navigate herself out. She then spent an unknown amount of time thinking and studying the forest around her. She was gravitated to this forest and the ancient tree. She knew that the string of fate tied around her finger brought her here, which oddly did not scare or concern her at all. She also knew that something important was going to happen, but it was not yet time.

After being in the forest and later rescued by her worried roommate, Lily, and Lily's long time boyfriend, Alex tried to forget that feeling of being so certain and at home and tried to focus at her new life at university. But she went back once to see if the feeling was real and agin and again to see if it faded. After the first night, she never got confused or lost finding the timeworn tree in the vast expansion of woods, yet she would get lost to and from her dorm on most days. It was a very odd thing to experience and she had no idea what would come of this feeling and this place, but for the time being she resigned herself to using it as a place of peace and quiet, something she never thought she would ever want.

After her meditation on the forest, Alex headed back to her dorm. As soon as she left the edge of the forest and crossed into the familiar, but cold modern, urban world she once loved and thrived in. Now she feels only out of place and disillusioned. Alex still loved the modern world and the things that came with it: brilliant music, great, sturdy clothing, accurate and advance medical knowledge, cell phones, indoor plumbing, and so many more things people take for granted. Alex loved listening to music or playing guitar or reading a modern novel or writing her own stories on her exceptional laptop, and she could not imagine a world where music wasn't within her reach or her favorite words weren't even a glimmer of a thought, but she felt that the modern world was lacking in something. Something important that had existed before, in simpler times, and had faded like the color dyed on a shirt.

Alex went back to her dorm and sat on her bed blasting some music. Lily wouldn't be back for twenty minutes and Alex had to finish some work before she did. She concentrated on the words she was typing on her laptop and the beat of the music in her ears and like always, time passed quickly. She had not realized her time was up until the interruption of hyper Lily jumping on her twin bed.

"Oi! I was working on something very important here!" Alex said grabbing her laptop to prevent Lily from jumping on it as she tends to jump on beds like a 5 year old and with a 5 year olds disregard for possessions and safety.

"Does it matter?! We are young and new. The world is ours and we are free, yet we trap ourselves in the rules of society" Lily yelled. The short, fiery ginger had an abundance of energy. Alex figured that she was the one stealing all her highly caffienated, black tea.

"Ya know, I think that your philosophy class was interesting today." Alex replied raising an eyebrow and smirking while typing on her laptop.

"Its brilliant. I am becoming a more enlightened person. Like the Buddha." Lily said as she flopped down on the bed. "But my point is still true. Its Friday night, We have to do something fun."

"Ya know, your definition of fun is very different than mine. And your definition scares me."

"Come on! Where is the crazy party girl from London I first met on Facebook awkwardly this summer. All your pictures were of crazy parties and amazing concerts and late night outs. I would like to awkwardly chat on the Facebook with that girl again for the night."

Alex rolled her eyes and shut her laptop. "I guess I am an enlightened being that has changed my ways. Like you and the Buddha." She shoved Lily smirking and put her laptop on her desk. "Fine I will go out tonight."

Lily immediately sat up and jumped off the bed and into her roommates' closet with her red hair flowing behind her. "Great! I am going to do you makeup and pick out your outfit."

"Great. I really do want to go for the drag queen look." Alex said exasperatedly as she down at her desk.

"That was a fancy dress and it was amazing. I promise you, that you will look hot, amazing, while it all remains practical. You could go off into the forest like you always do, and fight all the Robin Hood LARPers flawlessly."

"I couldn't imagine a more terrifying task. Ya know, some of them have real swords. Like actual pointy, stabbing, lethal swords."

"I promise you that you will never come across some one with a real sword or a bow and arrow in the forest. If you do, I will be your servant for the rest of term."

"I will hold you to that" Alex laughed as Lily started doing her hair.

Alex and Lily were walking along the dimly lit path to their friend's part. Lily was racing ahead in excitement and Alex was trying to keep up. Despite Alex's long legs, her strides were shorter due to the skirt Lily had made her wear. Lily had chosen a grungy, blue top, a black short skirt, black high knee socks paired with Docs, and a simple leather jacket for Alex to wear. Alex enjoyed the outfit and she could move in it, despite wearing a skirt on the shorter side. She wore a few rings, simple earrings with three in each ear, and her hair back in a head band making her bright aqua eyes stand out against her pale, porcelain skin. She clung to her all small backpack filled with her essentials: phone, headphones, phone battery, chap stick, her keys, some cash, and her meticulously written journal. She had a little red lipstick on and Lily told her that she looked like a fairy tale princess, but a badass one. That was the typical look Alex enjoyed.

She walked with Lily pulling her jacket tighter to fight the slight chill in the January air. Lily was fine wearing her short dress and heeled boots with only a simple cardigan over. Lily was never affected by anything: stress, cold, heat, and acne. As they entered the house, many heads turned to look at the stunning young women. Lily immediately socialized with her many friends and acquaintances. Alex, since she didn't know as many people, went off and got a drink.

Alex remembered the days of her years in London where she was the life of the party. She had just simply grown up and had lost the appeal of being the girl that knew everyone and everything. She spent the next few hours chatting absent mindingly, dancing a little to the few songs she liked, and avoided the drunk guys that always tried hitting on her. Eventually she became bored and found Lily flirting and chatting with her boyfriend, Harry, a footballer. She quickly gave her the nod that she was gonna go back to their room and Lily frowned at her for not staying longer and having fun. Alex replied with her smirk and made sure she had all of her things and strolled into the late night, mush to Lily's dismay.

Alex had the full intent on heading straight to her room and going to bed as soon as possible. But as she walked by the forest, she felt compelled that she had to go to her tree. She knew that she had to go. It was a feeling that she couldn't understand, but she knew that it was going to be an adventurous night. She quickly crossed the border of city and forest, modern and old, rational and mystical. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she was not lost and that she would find her tree. It was only a few minutes of stumbling against the old roots of the trees and wandering blind into the darkness of the forest with only a few beams of moonlight giving her vision of the endless amount of trees and shrubbery, until she found the tree. Her tree.

She approached that tree, more hesitant than ever before. She lightly placed her long, slender hand against the wood; she felt a feeling of adventure, excitement, heroics, and something strange and unknown to her. Suddenly she felt the ground being ripped underneath her feet and her breathe being stolen. She saw a bright light and a ringing noise, then blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alex woke up with a pounding in her head. She closed her eyes and winced and wondered what had happened the night before. She recalled what she did, what she drank, and when she went home as she experienced the sharp pain in her head. Then she remembered going to her tree, and her memory returned to her. She sat up and realized she was still in the forest and by her tree. She remembered the strange event from the night before, of feeling like she was swept up from the earth snd thrown into a new world. She had no idea what it was and what it meant for her. Alex stood up and brushed the leaves off herself and grabbed her bag. She quickly got her phone and dialed Lily's number in a panic, but all she got was the automatic, robotic voice saying she had no service. Looking at her mobile, she saw she had absolutely no reception or wifi. She thought it was very unusual since she was sure here were areas with service in the forest and figured it was one of those times where her phone company reinstalled their cellular towers, making the use of their service unuseful and frustrating for the day. She silently cursed her phone company for choosing this day of all days to update their cell towers.

Alex put her phone in her pocket and started walking back to her dorm, praying that Lily wasn't panicked. Lily always was saying that she would get in trouble in the forest after her first fiasco. Alex hasn't come across any trouble or has had any uneasy feelings, but now she did. The forest has different. The trees were smaller and younger it seemed, and the forest felt emptier than ever, but yet there was an unsettling presence of being watched. The forest seemed denser and bigger from where Alex was standing. She continued walking to find her path. It usually took ten minutes to enter back into the city and another ten to get back to her hall, but what was ten minutes, became twenty, then thirty, then forty, and then a full hour. Alex knew she was lost and something strange and bizarre had happened to her of the X Files proportions.

Alex continued trudging along the forest hoping to find the edge or a person soon. She was thinking about the events that have taken place. She nervously thought, "Did I have a heart attack? Did I pass out? Was it a seizure, a stroke? Where am I, because I am positive it is not the Nottingham I know and love. Am I in a coma, or worse dead?! Or just merely asleep in my dorm in an incredibly vivid dream?" She continued walking, trying to comprehend what had happened the night before and the problem at hand, until she heard a twig snap underfoot and knew it was not her foot that caused the twig to snap in half.

Alex was a statue where she stood. She had no idea what caused the noise but she reasoned it was probably because another forest wanderer was hiding. The fact someone was hiding from her scared her. She looked around and couldn't see anyone. She slowly kept walking on, more wary of her surroundings. She soon found a crude road in the woods and thought the best way to get out of the forest was to follow it. She had no idea where it lead or what she would do once she got out of the forest. She knew deep down that she was not going to go back to her dorm or even to her city.

She walked along the road, looking over her back for anyone following her. She figured if someone's following her, they probably would have left anyway. However, she was still on edge. To calm her down she started singing some of her favorite songs, hoping that the familiarity would comfort her. As she began singing a second song, she heard another twig snap to her left and bush rustle to her right. She stood still, realizing that more than one person was following and hiding from her.

As she finally realized this, a young man with a cocky grin on his face walked out onto the road in front of her with a bow and arrows, along with five other persons. They were all armed with bow and arrows or swords and the biggest man had a wooden staff. Alex face went white with fear and her body tensed for the fight or flight moment, but her logic kicked in. She realized that this was a simple LARP group and started cracking up. She started laughing so much that she fell onto the ground and was clutching her stomach, and she was pleased with the fact that now Lily would have to serve her, if she did believe her about this impossible event. The medieval dressed men looked her extremely confused and startled.

Alex laid on the ground and in between her laughs she said, "Ya know, you guys are good. I was scared witless. I am so sorry I ruined your game or whatever. Ha! Great dark ages costumes and weapons; they look actually real! I have had the worst night ever. Ya know, I thought I was in genuine danger!" She laughed more and smiled and sighed of relief.

The man in front stated puzzled, "You are in danger! We are OUTLAWS. We are going to rob you! I am Robin Hood and these are my men." He smirked.

Alex laughed more and stood up saying with her relieved smirk, "Ya and I am Jesus Christ. Listen I am sorry about ruining your "pretend to be Robin Hood and his Merry Men" game, but can you point me in the general direction of Nottingham. I am really lost and my roommate must be worried sick."

"This is no joke." said "Robin Hood".

"I'm not bein' funny but I think she's a nutter. She is 'n the forest all 'lone and wearing that." said another man staring her down with harsh blue eyes.

"Ya know, I guess you are not gonna break character. So you are Robin" she said pointing at the confused leader, " and the only other Merry Men I know of are Little John, which ironically and obviously him" she said pointing to the tall man with the wooden staff, "Will Scarlett, who is the dude with knives, and Allan A Dale, the singing one, which I guess they are in the bunch somewhere. I guess I'll give you some notes in return for directions. I hope this helps the poor and you beat the Sheriff and all." Alex said chuckling. She reached into her bag and grabbed the little cash she had and offered it to "Robin".

"How do you know about us, or at least Will, Allan, and John? How come you don't know me? And why are you dressed so strange?" said the man with longer strawberry blonde hair.

"Every one knows the story, dude. Some more than others I suppose. Would you feel better if you told me your name?" she laughed. The man scowled and mumbled a name resembling Much. She resumed her smirk and then said to their leader, "Now are you gonna take the money and let me go or am I gonna have to act like a damsel in distress." Alex was still holding out her banknotes.

"That ain't no money I have ever seen before. And the only real distressin' about you is the skirt you got on." said the man that called her crazy before.

"Ya know, I'm guessing you are Allan A Dale because you are a rooster in the Disney movie, or also crudely called a cock." Alex told the man with blue eyes, proud of her improvised insult. "Allan" looked slightly confused, but absolutely sure that he was insulted, as she continued on, "Listen, take the money or leave it, your choice. I really must go though and I would really like it if you told me where to find Nottingham. Also are those real swords 'cause I made a bet with someone so they might be my servant for the rest of term?"

"Master, she is mad. Look at her, she is wearing sinful, scandalous clothing and is offering us PAPER as currency. We cannot take her to Nottingham," said Much.

"All you have to do is point. I just want to get home!" Alex stated becoming slightly agitated but still amused with the role players.

"You don't look like you're from Nottingham." said the young. lanky man holding an axe staring at her.

"Can you just stop this charade?! You are not Robin Hood and his men because they does not exist. It is just a legend from when the flipping crusades were happening to just how outdated the story is." Alex finally snapped and yelled, "Ya know, I am sick of your little game. It is not the dark ages; it is 2015 and I am just a university student and I was out late last night and something happened and I feel asleep or something, I really don't know because everything is different in the forest now and I cannot find my way home. I guess it might as well be the late 1100s to me."

"2015?" asked Robin extremely concerned.

"Yes. Ya know, I'm guessing that must be a news flash for crazy people like you. Just point towards home and I will leave all you guys alone and you can go frolic and shoot arrows or whatever, okay?" Alex said crossing her arms and glaring, hiding her fear. She knew deep down in her gut that she wasn't going to go back to her dorm. Her instinct and intuition knew something had changed and her little adventure wasn't going to end anytime soon, but she wasn't going to accept that. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this.

Robin pointed to where she was originally walking towards in defeat and with an externally confused, concerned look on his face. All of the men had concerned and confused faces, but Alex just told herself that they got offended at her outburst and were upset that she ruined their charade. As she was walking past them, she thought of apologizing for ruining and insulting their game. She turned around to say something, but she reasoned they they were jerks and crazy for not helping her. But looking at their faces, it was blatantly obvious that they thought she was the crazy one.

The outlaws went back to their camp right after their disturbing and strange encounter.

"2015?! I cannot understand why she think that it is the year 2015! She must be extremely mad, or an extremely bad liar. And those clothes! They are just a sin to look at them! Does she have no shame?!" Much said ranting as they walked to the camp.

"A devil she is." Little John said as he walked along.

"How did she know about us, or at least a few of us?" Djaq said, "Everyone knows about Robin and his battle with the Sheriff, but the names of our gang are not common."

"I don't know about you, but I like her. She has spirit, and a clever tongue despite bein' nutters." said Allan grinning,

"You just like those _sinful_ clothing of her." Much commented.

"'Ey! Clearly she liked gettin' attention and I'm just giving' her what she wants." Allan retorted.

"That is just how she lures mean to their deaths. She's a witch. And when she gets to Nottingham, the Sheriff will surely burn her. It will be the only good and justifiable thing he will ever do." Much said crossing his arms.

"Much! She is not a witch, and if the Sheriff does arrest her, we are going to have to save her then" Robin said. Everyone looked at him surprised and confused.

"Save her! She just signed her own death wish. She isn't sane after all. She thinks its the future." Will said trying to give Robin some reason.

"She is not a witch. If she was a witch why would she be lost? Why are we alive? She clearly has no idea about the dangers in Nottingham." Robin explained crossing is arms in thought.

"This is just her luring us further into her trap for men. She'll cast a spell on us and kill us and use us for witchy things. Only Djaq will be spared because she is a woman." Much reasoned. Djaq rolled her eyes at Much's comment.

"She needs our help, Much! I'm sure that once she sees the town, she will become a rational person and realize that it is the year 1192 and will enter into normal society and go back where she came from."

"Its not wise Robin. She is not of this world." John said.

"Well maybe she really is from the future. I guess after we save her we can hear stories about us; she did after all say we were legends. Now get a move on, we are saving her and that is final." Robin got his hood and started heading out while the rest of the men stood still with their mouths open in shock or in a growl of anger and displeasure. They then regained their composure and got ready to head into the castle and break the witch out.

Alex couldn't believe her eyes. Instead of her university city that she loved and lived in, she saw a castle and bustling peasants in the market place. It was like watching a movie taking place in the dark ages, but it was not a movie. It was real. There was a moat thing, but contained beggars not water, and a giant gate to the court yard in the center of town. Guards were everywhere and eyeing her down along with peasants that have noticed her. Alex looked up and saw a giant, stone castle in the center of it all. It was the thing she had only read about or seen in movies with a huge budget.

She tried to rationalize it as just a dream. She counted her fingers like her father taught her if she got scared in a dream, since you cannot count or read in dreams, but her hands had the standard ten fingers, five on each. She had to except that this was real, or at least real to her. She cursed herself for yelling at the outlaws. She just ran into Robin Hood, _the Robin Hood_, the one of stories and songs and parodies. And she then realized she was in the middle of a medieval square with a tyrant ruler wearing her modern party clothes. No wonder why the Merry Men looked at her like she was a demon or something because in her attire and her language and her claims of being in 2015, she might as well been wearing a black, pointy hat and had a broom as her mode of transportation. She said in shock "I am so screwed."

Right as she said this a tall man in all leather approached her with guards lurking behind him. The man had an air of authority and darkness surrounding him like a heavy fog. She knew that she really, really screwed.

"Oh hello officer. Is there a problem?" she said smiling an debating her eyelashes, having a little glimmer of unrealistic hope that this would be like getting out of a traffic ticket.

The man in all leather just snarled at his guards, "Arrest her. She is wearing indecent clothes. She must be a witch. I'll notify the Sheriff. She'll be burned at the stake by this afternoon if she proves guilty." Alex frantically looked around for a way out and wondered how all the heroes from her favorite movies could do this. She quickly threw some of the things from a nearby market stall on the ground separating her from the approaching guards. She ran around people, trying to get to the massive gate and out the fortified town, when a new group of guards came in front of the gate, making her completely surrounded.

"Can't you guys just let me go? I'm not causing any real trouble. Ya know, I could help you guys. I know a lot of things about Robin Hood." Alex rambled with uncertainty and fear in her voice as she raised her hands above her head in surrender.

"You know Hood?!" the man in leather said approaching her with handcuffs.

As she was being handcuffed in the huge, iron chains, she clarified, "Oh I don't know him personally. Though I did have a horrid run in with him today where he robbed me and I got away with yelling at them and confusing them massively. But I do know OF him. But what I know is a lot more than you do. So if you let me free, we can go get a nice meal and chat things over and I can be on my merry way like the innocent person I am."

"No chance of that _witch.__"_ the leather clad man spat out. He pushed her roughly and escorted to what she guessed was the dungeons. "You will be meeting the Sheriff regardless and we will force your knowledge of Hood, whether if it is true or not out and then you will be burned at the stake. All you have is the choice of being tortured or not."

"Ya know, I choose not. I am an open book. Ask me anything." Alex said quickly and nervously.

"Good choice and I intend you." the man replied shoving her into the dark chambers of the castle. Alex knew that she was in big trouble and she had to get herself out of this. No one was going to rescue her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading this! I didn't think this would be popular at all. Please follow, favorite, and review. I will be posting tomorrow but not at all next week and weekend because I will be out of town, unless I get 3 reviews. Unfortunately I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its plots, and characters, except Alex and the original story line following her. Thank you!**

Chapter 3

The outlaws stared at the scene before them. The witch was surrounded by guards, despite her best efforts to get away, and was being arrested. They could clearly hear her try to offer information on their fearless and noble leader, Robin.

"Master" Much whispered to Robin, "We cannot help her. She is giving information about you to the Sheriff. She is no friend to us."

"Much, she is terrified. Can't you see her eyes? Those are the eyes of someone whose world has been destroyed. She is simply trying to survive. I think she understands the world we live in now. Besides, if she was witch, she would have easily escaped and fled by now. We are helping her because that is what we do. Help the helpless, defend the defenseless, provide for the poor." Robin stated, internally proud at his impromptu mission statement.

The rest of the outlaws grumbled and sighed in frustration. Will, Allan, Much, and especially Little John were sure that she was a witch, a follower of the devil. Djaq didn't know what to make of the girl, but she was sure she wasn't from here despite her claims, and she was sure that the girl would return to reason once talked to. Robin knew that this girl was innocent and it was his duty to help her be free of her delusions. He had seen that look of fear in men's eyes in the Holy Land before. It was a look of fear of the unknown and confusion. The men he fought with always had that looked when they first arrived, as did he and Much, though Much didn't pay much attention to it. The crusaders always though what it would be like, but all the stories were just lies and hearsay, making the new recruits insecure and anxious.

They watched the girl be hauled away by Guy and into the dungeons where she would no doubt be personally interrogated by the Sheriff about her strangeness, outsiderness, and her knowledge of Robin Hood. Everyone arrested these days would be asked if they knew about Robin Hood and his gang. It was the Sheriff's lame attempt to see if he could come across any extra information, but Robin was very careful. She would be burned at the stake after questioning for a crime she did not commit. Robin just hoped that the girl would be smart enough to take her time till they rescued her.

Robin thought about what to do. He smiled once he came up with the perfect plan. "Listen, I have a plan…"

Alex waited in her cell thinking of what to do. She was disgusted by the conditions. Was it not yesterday she was living in a nice dorm with electricity and wifi and heating and overall cleanliness? "No," she thought sadly, "It is in 800 years." The dungeons smelled of every human bodily fluid possible, and that did include the metallic smell of blood. They were dark and dank; the floors were covered with filth and the fore mentioned bodily fluids, despite the lame attempt to cover it in stray hay. The other prisoners screamed and yelled at no one in particular, unless the leering jailer or a masked and armed guard walked by. There also was the occasional painful cry from some poor person being tortured to the point of death. When the leather clad man dragged her in the dungeon, all of the criminals jeered and yelled and whistled at her and her exposed legs, while reaching out trying to achieve some touching of the scared, young girl. "This must be the equivalent of walking in here with a loin cloth" she thought to herself trying not to be groped by the outstretched hands from the cells.

The dark man tossed her into her own private cell, a small sign of mercy, after removing the iron cuffs on her wrists, muttering that he would be back soon with the Sheriff. Alex stood up rubbing her wrists from the irritation the clunky chains gave her. She figured that her hands remained free because she posed no real threat to anyone here. They most likely though she needed a staff or potion do real damage. "What insular, ridiculous people." she grumbled to herself. Soon, the majority of the lusty yells directed at her ceased, and she was left by herself, with some the neighboring cell mates looking at her. One directed a crude comment at her, but she snipped back a harsh insult with very colorful language about how he would most likely hang no matter the crime because he was not a real man in the eyes of the law and God, causing everyone in the dungeon to shut up.

Alex paced around her cell in the more silent atmosphere of desperation and death. She needed to get a story. She had ruined her chance of ever getting help from the famous, heroic outlaw and had to fend for herself. She couldn't say she was from the future. She had a small recollection of this time from her history class from sixth form. King Richard was fighting in the crusades in the East and Prince John wanted the throne (or really just money and power, as her father lectured her about history as he often did). She knew at some point Richard the Lionheart got kidnapped and ransomed, and the price was extremely high and ridiculous. There was a lot of taxation to support the war and the legend of Robin Hood was invented to give hope, or at least historians thought it was invented. Clearly whenever Alex was, Robin Hood was a real person and him and his band of Merry Men helped people and fought against the tyrant known as Sheriff Vaisey.

Alex pondered about what to say as she sat in the dark, damp cell. She decided it would be best to say she was from another European country and she was visiting relatives in Nottingham. If the Sheriff asked about her relatives, she would said that she had just received word that they died of a fever or something like that. And as for her knowledge about Robin Hood, she would say that she had heard of the outlaw and she would just give a brief explanation of the story and its importance of giving hope and all that. Robin and his gang robbed the rich gave to the poor, they hung out in the forest, and Robin was in love with a lady in the castle, if she had to give more information. She figured that if there was a Maid Marian, she wouldn't appreciate some strange, dark magic girl to say she was hanging out ad flirting with Robin Hood, so she would just say Ronin had eyes for someone if necessary and that was all she knew. As she though of a basic story, the leather clad man and a shorter bald man, she presumed was the Sheriff, with ornate clothes approached her cell.

"I see that you have caught a witch Gisbourne. Good job. I have been thinking about burning one for some time now." the Sheriff said to the leather clad man.

Alex stood up and giving her best face said, "With all due respect, sir or milord or whatever, why I am being treated as a common criminal? Actually less than that. Do I get no trial? Defense? You don't even know my name. This is a violation of my human rights. I demand to be released and have my charges read out and go to a proper trial with a fair judge."

"Oh la di da da. She is a tough one, isn't she Gisbourne? Well regarding your trail, missy, its a no. There is a war and people want to watch a witch burn." the Sheriff smiled.

"This is positively barbaric. Have you never been to _my_ country? This is the typical attire. My country is a very civilized place and I demand that I speak with the ambassador. I am no such thing as a witch." Alex retorted trying to pass off as shocked and appalled.

"And what country is that?" the Sheriff asked.

"... Denmark" Alex replied cursing herself for not thinking of a better country that would be so far away it was plausible.

"Is that true? Do I care? A clue: no."

"Milord, she claims to know things about Robin Hood and she had some strange objects on her person at the time of her arrest." Gisbourne said handing the Sheriff her bag with her jacket and phone.

"My, my. What a curious object?" the Sheriff said holding her mobile upside down, staring at it with confusion and awe. He dangled it in front of her, taunting her, and then clutched it in his cold, firm grasp and said, "But first, your name, and then Hood. What do you know of him?"

Alex paced around her cell, "The name is Alex; I am surprised you care about that at all. And ya know, does it matter? You'll never catch him. That's what I know about him. He may be a person to you, but he's a name to me. A name that will last centuries, a millennia," she smirked staring at the men and approaching them from behind her cell bars, "It gives hope to people in the most dire circumstances. He's a story, legend, song, archetype. You could catch Robin Hood and kill him, but his name will live on. And that name will cause another like him to rise and help fight your injustice. And then another, and another, until justice is a staple in every society and civilization in the world, which probably won't actually happen for a very very long time. So in a way you win a little bit with corruption being a constant thing." She crossed her arms and tried, and emphasis on tried, to seem strong and intimidating, but then squealed and jumped upat the sight of a rat by her cell as it scampered by. The authoritative and sinister men laughed at her distress and disgust. She was not going to be able to demand her release at all.

The Sheriff frowned, "Not very helpful then. She is philosophical, if very wimpy, though. Maybe we will get some inspiring last words. Now what is this?" he said holding her phone and dangling it in front of her once again.

Alex then thought of the perfect plan. She would get her mobile and play some loud, heavy metal music and say it was the devil and make them free her. She replied this time with a real confidence, but fake insecurity, "Its just a good luck charm. Nothing important or magical. Just like me, ha." she chuckled nervously, "I would really appreciate you letting me go. Or at least give it to me as a comforting thing before I am wrongly condemned to a horrible, heinous death." The Sheriff looked at her with her scared, but strong blue eyes staring back, and then looked at her phone; he shook his head grinning.

"Do I look like an idiot? A clue: no. You'll probably use your magic with this and escape." She groaned at glared at him for guessing her plan as he gave the phone to Gasbourne and told him to put with her effects, and order to burn it along with her. He left yelling to his man that her execution would be in one short hour.

Alex yelled at the retreating man, " I can't believe you actually buy into that magic crap! Ya know, if I had magic I would have turned ya into the freakin' toad you are!" Alex shook the cell bars and kicked them angrily. She walked back to the far wall, then leaned against the wall, sighing and shaking frightened. Gisbourne studied the girl, knowing she was not as harmful and not a real witch after her interrogation, only a strange girl, probably really from a far away place despite her obvious lies; but he had to follow orders, so he left her in the dark cell awaiting her death, as he did with most of the criminals he caught.

Alex slid down the wall and sat against it, trying to find her breathe. She knew she was having a small anxiety attack. She was hundreds of miles from home, but reminded herself that she was actually hundreds of _years_ from home. She tried to breath and not cry. She would not be so weak in her last moments. She silently sang one of favorite sad songs, and another, and another, and another. Eventually her jailer walked by, and ashamed, she begged him to give her the journal she kept. After yelling and begging, he finally did if she promised to shut up. She then spent what she though was the last hour of her life humming sad songs and writing about how she discovered her short lived adventure and a goodbye note to everyone, though they would not get it for a few hundred years.

As she finished writing her last goodbye, the jailer unlocked her cell with Gisbourne by his side and she was being escorted to what would be her painful death.

The outlaws could see the girl being escorted by Gisbourne holding her bag to the center of Nottingham town where they had prepared a stake with a huge amount of fire wood beneath it for the witch burning. The girl momentarily stopped when they were in the open in front of the stake and looked around for anything to tell her it was all just a horrible nightmare, but she closed her eyes holding back her tears and continued on bravely. Gisbourne threw up bag into the kindling stating that the tools of the witch needed to be burned as well. He shoved her to a guard who then took her to the stake and tied her against to the wooden stake tightly and muttering an insult about black magic. The girl opened her eyes and looked ahead bravely at the Sheriff as he unrolled the scroll with her "crimes" against the king and country.

As the Sheriff was reading and talking about how witches were a plague while adding that she helped Hood and the peasants should not accept him and such, the outlaws were getting in place for the reluctant rescue. The Sheriff finished his speech, and the executioner received the torch as the people yelled for her demon blood. The Sheriff offered her last words and the girl replied, humming a tune familiar only to her, "Well, you can fight it but you know that you won't get your way in the end, too many people, the king and all of his men." She felt it was fitting and all, and she thought it would be a great, witty last words for her, even though no one had heard the catchy song before. But its meaning was still true and relevant, and the Sheriff frowned in anger as she smirked at her cleverness and the fact she struck a nerve, and he signaled for the stake to be lit as he sat down in his grand throne, pretending to be bored. Sitting next to him was Gisbourne, and behind the dark man, was a lady with dark hair and bright eyes with an elderly man beside. She figured that the pretty woman must be Marian and her father was next to her.

She had a glimmer of a smile in her eyes remembering the famed, vigilante love story of Robin Hood, then a tear thinking she would die without ever being in loved or loved, even if she thought love was a ridiculous notion. Of course she had a boyfriend in sixth form, and it was a boyfriend in a band that wrote her songs and took her to formal dances (much to her reluctance) and she had her first everything with, but it was just two kids having fun, not love. Alex shook these thoughts away from her mind and remembered all the good in life. Her childhood Christmases, graduating sixth form, going to university, her favorite concerts, visiting Paris when she was 12 and going to New York City when she was 17, and the year she spent living in Oregon when she was 15. She just had to remember the good right now before the flames would torture and kill her.

As the executioner was about to light the kindling of the stake to burn the accused witch, a whistling was heard and an arrow hit its target, the torch, causing the torch to fall to the ground, feet away from the kindling of the witch's stake. Everyone paused and the Sheriff stood up in anger. Robin emerged from the crowd, strutting with his cocky smirk on his face. The girl looked at him with a expression of shock, confusion, relief, and happiness.

"Sheriff, are you really accusing innocent girls to get to me now?" he said as his men emerged along with him ready to fight. Gisbourne called for his guards as the peasants fleed the square. Soon fighting began between the guards and the outlaws. Robin ran up and helped the girl free. She grabbed her bag and thanked him fighting back the tears in her eyes.

"Thanks for saving me. I don't know what to say. Maybe start with I am not a witch or psycho. I really can explain everything." she rambled gasping for air as the tightness from her chest from the fear of dying was fading away.

"We aren't out of here yet." Robin said jumping down into the fight. Alex jumped down as well and joined the outlaws as they finished off the guards. She grabbed the sword of a fallen guard in attempt to defend herself and her rescuers. She was surprised how heavy it was, but she remembered her childhood days of playing Star Wars with her little brother and managed to fight off one guard. The outlaw she had insulted by guessing his Disney character, knocked the man she was fighting out and smirked at her. "You were right, the name's Allan." Alex rolled her eyes at the his flirting smirk and its completely inappropriate timing, and focused on what seemed the impossible task at hand. But the outlaws were extraordinarily good fighters, probably because it was what they did for a living and it was their way of survival.

With only a few guards left, but with the inevitable fact of more arriving, they ran to their prepared get away horses with Alex sitting behind Robin and they were gone, leaving the stake unburned and the Sheriff yelling at his right hand, the dark leather man for being incompetent.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its plots, and characters. I only own my own characters. I will not be posting next week due to travel, but if I get three reviews, I will post a new chapter before I leave.**

Chapter 4

Alex sighed of relief as the horses stopped and she got off. The only experience she has of riding horses was at a birthday party when she was five, and those were ponies. After sliding off she pulled down her skirt and looked through her bag and jacket making sure everything was there. She smiled that everything was where it belonged and the jerk of the Sheriff would not have access to such advance technology and sat down on a rock in the forest breathing deeply and closing her eyes. It took her a few minutes to realize that all the men were staring at her. She could understand why. Alex sat up and looked at them.

"Thank you. I owe you my life, obviously. I can explain everything. Also I do apologize for our earlier run in." she rambled nervously. She could feel the scorn from the men like the heat from the sun.

Robin was the first to speak. "What is your name and where are you really from?"

"Its Alex. Alexandra Hunter, but to everyone its just Alex. I am from London, but studying in Nottingham right now. In 2015." she grimaced at how crazy she sounded.

"Master, she is mad. And a witch!" said Much angry that he had just risked his life for the girl.

"I am not crazy or a witch! And luckily I can prove it." Alex said. She stood up grabbing her phone from her bag and holding the colored side with the Apple logo towards the outlaws and tapped the black screen it. "And if you thought I was such a bad person, why save me? If I just had" she paused taking a breathe, "died it wouldn't effect you at all" She held out the phone so the outlaws could all see the screen and the photo she had just taken of them. They crouched down and squinted and looked at it in shock and amazement, most of them in fright.

"Witch craft." Little John muttered.

"No. Its brilliant. It captures everything like a mirror, but its a moment preserved forever." Djaq said in amazement, completely mesmerized at the picture of her greatest friends and herself.

"I agree with Little John. Its not natural." Much said standing up and walking away from the witch.

"It may not be natural, but it does capture my charms." Allan said smirking at Alex. She rolled her eyes and put her phone in her bag again annoyed. Robin stared at her curiously.

"Ya know, nothing is ever going to convince you because you are so narrow minded. Thank you for saving me for whatever reasons you have. I will just go and try to get home now." Alex said shrugging her jacket on and fixing her hair.

"Don't you want to hear our reason though?" Robin said in his smug way as Alex prepared to walk off.

"Ya know, why don't you enlighten me, Robin of Locksley," she said.

"You do seem very educated about me, my gang, and our endeavors, but I digress. I choose to save you because I know that you aren't a witch and you aren't mad," he said smirking with his bow in hand.

"I claim that I am from the future and I have strange items and clothes. I'll swear in front of God and the Queen that I am not crazy or a witch, but I at least understand why people here are scared of me. Why not you? Why believe me?" she asked crossing her arms in front of her chest, starring him down in attempt to figure him out.

"Because your eyes have clarity and reason in them; they also have fear of the unknown, uncertainty, and confusion in them. Its a look I have seen before and no sure and rational person like you would be mad or a witch. So why don't you come with us to our camp and tell us your story?" Robin said giving her a kind smile.

"Only if your groupies agree," she said giving them the stink eye of skepticism of their character. Her bright blue eyes still gave away her emotions and as the gang looked into them, they finally saw what Robin saw and all nodded in agreement that she could join them for the night and tell her tale. They believed that she was normal, but some were still wary of her peculiar ways and the rest was amazed.

Alex smiled, erasing all traces of contempt, relived that she didn't have to go find her tree in the middle of the forest at night without any resources where she was sure there were men hunting her down. What scared her most was that her pull to the mystical tree was gone, but she decided to ignore it for now and focus at the task at hand of explaining herself to the medieval men.

"Ya know, I better start at the beginning. When I first came to Nottingham… in 2014," she smiled and walked amongst the group. She then felt the feeling she was missing after her first encounter in the forest and with her tree. She had the feeling of being home.

Alex had explained what it was like in the future, why she was studying in Nottingham, getting lost in the forest for the first time and then later finding her place of solace, and she finally told them of the events of the night before and how she fell though time as she deducted. However, she also reasoned that this could be a dream she is having in a coma or she is dead and the after life is just a series of stories. She moved quickly on, not wanting to think about the worst case scenario.

She told them about the legend of Robin Hood and reluctantly apologized to Allan for calling him a rooster (which Much made a quip about how it was an accurate way to describe him). Allan smirked and wouldn't stop crowing, making Alex laugh for the first time in this new world. She also apologized to Much that she didn't know his name, but reassured him that in the legend there was always the loyal servant, her favorite version being the blind one in the Hood parody, Men in Tights. She did mention not knowing about a Middle Eastern woman being apart of the gang. Djaq smiled and told her the abridged version of her own story, and Alex smiled and declared her the favorite of the group. Allan responded to this in a very hurt crow.

That night she had bonded with everyone. Like the food she was offered, the conversation was devoured. She was amazed with Robin being real and told her all the versions of his legend and of course asked about him and Marian. Robin was shocked that she knew about her, but it only made his belief in her story of being from another time stronger. No one outside of his gang knew of him and Marian's relationship, if he could say that they had one. He explained that she was engaged to Guy of Gisbourne out of necessity. Alex reassured him that Marian would never go through with a marriage to "Guyliner" as she mockingly called him (after explaining the pun to her new friends), and he would regain his land and title and get Marian to fall completely in love with him soon.

Will and Alex told each other anecdotes that made them fall over in laughter. Alex listened to Much talk about food and told him about all the amazing foods she had. Much's mouth was watering when she told him about instant, microwave pizza. Even Little John warmed up to her. She told him that even though there was a lot more new things in her world, there were a lot of simple things. He smiled at the girl explaining the beauty of her world and its simplicity and the forest she knew. He even said at one point in the night, "Her, though mad, I like." Djaq and Alex talked about all the new things discovered and the miracle of technology in Alex's world. They also made little jokes about things only shared between them; they became fast friends. Though she was not Lily, she already had a bond with her stronger than some friends she had known since she was a young child.

Allan was probably Alex's favorite and also least favorite person to talk to. From their first words, it was always a huge debate and fight between the two, but no matter what, they laughed together. Alex and Allan were in constant debate of anything or everything. They even debated on things they had no knowledge about. Allan also continually flirted with her and used his charms, but Alex had been exposed to all of these tricks before and denied that they existed and even worked on her. Their banter made everyone laugh. Alex spent the night laughing and talking like never before. As they finished their meal, Alex played one of her favorite songs from her phone. It was a softer, acoustic one and Alex hummed along softly. Everyone was wary at first but joined her; as they did join her, they accepted her as one of their own.

After everyone had long finished their dinner and had gone to bed, Alex remained awake scribbling down the recent events in her journal. Robin had kindly lent her his sleeping mat and blanket for the night and she had graciously accepted. She stayed awake and wrote in her journal about the fear she experienced, the unsureness and nervousness, the lack of trust she felt, and she wrote mostly about how she has never felt happier than this night filled with talk and laughter. She also recorded her plan to get home. She figured the best course of action was to find her tree and wait until it willed her home, though she knew that this strange energy or magic or whatever it is wanted her here and she was going to remain. She had to fight against this fate though.

The next day she awoke startled from a nightmare of actually being burned alive the day before. She was first confused at where she was and who she was with, but slowly the events of yesterday were recollected by her sleepy and caffeine deprived mind. She had only gotten four hours at the maximum of sleep that night. She fell back into her makeshift bed groaning at the fact she was stuck in the dark ages. It was not going to be like a visit Medieval Times dinner and show, but rather being sent off to Siberia with the only a flimsy jacket. She never thought she would miss the sound of her alarm clock before today.

Soon Much, the committed servant got up, the Will, then Robin, Djaq, John, and finally Allan. Alex remained in the bed writing possible theories in her journal about what happened. The gang were confused by her muttering about a "blue police box" and a "flux capacator" and "worm holes". Alex ran her hand through her hair from the stress of the problem and set her thoughts and drabbles down. She resolved to go find her tree and see if there were clues there. If she couldn't get home right away, and she knew deep down she couldn't, she would figure out how to purchase some clothing that helped her fit in this time. Then she would just have to wing it.

Alex stood up and grabbed her things. "Ya know, it was incredibly kind of you to let me spend the night here, but I have to get home. Lily is probably panicked and I have a huge essay due soon. I just can't stay and I have to find this tree, portal thing with a lot of woods to cover."

"I'm not bein' funny but you are on the run. You can't be wanderin' with Guy huntin' you down. You're 'n outlaw now, like us." Allan told her.

"I guess I have to take my chances. Thank you, everyone. Ya know, if I can't get home, I do hope that I'll see you around the forest and stuff." Alex smiled as she put her jacket on and started lacing up her boots, the only practical component of her wardrobe.

"Allan is right. We can't let you go. You will only get caught and captured again. This time your punishment will only be worse since we helped you escape." Robin said staring at the girl.

"Well what do you suggest that I do then? I can't sit around and not do anything. I have to get home." Alex snapped at him.

"Well first you need to get more appropriate attire. While we do deliveries, we will buy some clothing and you will stay here with Much and help him. Then ALL of us will help you find your way home." Robin said.

Alex shouted an objection about being grounded while subconsciously pulling down her back skirt, and Much protested that he wanted to help with deliveries today, but Robin would not take no for an answer, he needed Alex safe and he trusted Much the most. Alex sat down on one of the logs surrounding the fire. She was not going to sit around and do nothing today. She had to get home. She couldn't abandon her father and brother, her friends and Lily, and her studies. What was she going to do here, in the dark ages, as an outlaw?

Though last night was great, she couldn't remain with the outlaws. She could throw a punch and defend herself, but there was no way she could shot an arrow very far and accurately or fight off someone with a sword without proper training and real strength. There was no way they would let her join the gang, she reasoned. Though once she got home, she was going to go to the gym everyday.

She also couldn't pass off as a peasant. She was publicly declared a witch and no one would take her in, and she forgot the idea of living in the forest on her own. There were other outlaws, and not kind like Robin's. The added bonus of the Nottingham guards hunting her down would also limit her ability to adjust to life here.

Everyone had left the camp for the tasks of the days except Much and Alex. Much was busy cleaning while Alex sat on the ground, leaning against the log, thinking. Much was worried about the girl and felt bad that she was so far from home. He didn't believe she was from the future, but somewhere amazing. If she went home, he would have to make a point for her to return and bring this pizza thing back with her.

Much then tried to start a conversation with her, "So of all the food you have, what is your favorite?"

Alex continued looking at the ground and replied smiling, "I have to say sushi. Its a staple in the Japanese diet. It consists of sticky rice, seaweed, raw fish and other seafood, and vegetables. I know it sounds horrible, but its really good."

Much made a gagging, disgusted noise saying that it sounded like the most horrible thing he has ever heard of. Alex smiled and laughed at him as he continued to ramble about proper food as she thought. She couldn't keep waiting around for Robin and everyone. She knew it was risky to head out, but she had to. The only thing in her way was Much, who would not let her leave and he could easily overtake her and tie her up to a tree. Despite his meek appearance, she learned that he fought in the Crusade for five years, and she knew that required a lot of physical and mental strength, a type of strength Alex knew she could never have. Alex stood up and started pacing and came up with a plan. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

She offered to help Much with the cleaning and he gladly accepted. She started washing a rudimentary, medieval equivalent of a pan and while his back was turned she wacked him on the head with it rendering him unconscious. She felt terrible for doing this, even though it was necessary, so she decided she should leave a note. She rolled Much over on his back and made sure he was breathing, and scribbled on the back if a receipt she found in the bottom of her bag. She wrote she was sorry and she meant no harm, but she had to go and try to find her way back instead of sitting around, waiting. She put the note next to Much and stood up grabbing her things. She knew she was going to regret this, but she had to do what a girl stuck in the dark ages and accused of with craft had to do. As she left the camp, she found a spare dagger and put it in her boot. She thought it was better to be safe than sorry, especially with people hunting her and thinking she was a witch. She quickly left the camp and searched for her tree.

She had been walking for what it seemed like forever, searching for her tree. That pull that had existed in her world, was gone, and she was terrified. She fought against her reason and put her headphones in listening to her favorite playlist. She needed something to calm her down, and even though she wouldn't be able to hear any danger approaching her, or worse, an angry and hurt Much, she would feel safe and at ease.

Meanwhile, at the camp, Robin and the rest of the gang found Much passed out and Alex gone. Robin cursed him self mentally for being stupid. Of course Alex would leave. She was stubborn and smart and desperate. They should have tied her up, even though she would have not appreciated it.

Djaq ran over and started helping Much. She gave him some herbs to smell and he soon regained consciousness. He was confused at first, but his memory returned and he told everyone what had happened. He also found the note she left and gave it to Robin to read, since him and Djaq were the only literate ones.

"She's looking for a way home. How can she be so reckless?" Robin said to his crew.

"She is a smart woman who knows what she wants. I don't think we could have stopped her." Djaq replied.

"She could have waited. She will surely get herself in trouble, or arrested, or even killed." Will said.

"I think that she knows that but decided to leave anyway." Djaq said.

"Well come on! We have to find her." Robin said standing up and grabbing more arrows for himself.

"I ain't bein' funny, but how are we gonna find 'er? Its a pretty big forest." Allan said.

"We will split up and meet back here in two hours. I'll go with Much, Djaq with John, Allan and Will together. We have to find her before someone else does." Robin said heading out into the woods and the rest followed him.

Alex sat down after a few hours of searching at the base of a tree. She wasn't going to find her tree. She mumbled to herself, "Stupid. This tree probably doesn't even exist, but is like some inter dimensional, alien crap. Ya know, you're going crazy, Alex and you are talking to yourself! You even wandered into a forest in the dark ages all alone with only a dagger arming you." She leaned against a nearby tree trying not to let her fear get to her. She was terrified at what she was going to do next. She couldn't show her face in public after her almost execution. She would have to wander into the next town or shire or whatever its called. The she could maybe get a job as a servant, even though she would had no experience. Or maybe join an abbey and devote herself to God, even though she wasn't particularly religious. She had only a few options and none appealing.

Alex continued sitting there and closed here eyes, tired from the limited hours of sleep the night before. She relaxed herself by remembering the view from her dorm window and the view from her window back in her London home. From her dorm, she could see the town with the forest trees in the middle of it. She loved the buildings of her campus, the ancient halls with the new, contemporary ones sprinkled throughout the campus of lawn and trees. Back home in London, she had a view over the Thames and could see some of the more historical places, but the skyscrapers and building also demanded her attention. Closer to her house, she could see many more buildings and house with stores dotting the cobbled streets and the occasional taxi passing by honking. She missed both of her homes. She missed her friends and her family. Her friends were good and kind and Lily was the only person she could trust, which was a very rare thing for her. She wondered what her family would think. It was just her dad and her not so little 17 year old brother at home. Her vanishing in thin air would destroy her father after loosing her mother when she was little.

As she laid down mourning her losses, Allan and Will caught sight of her from where they were standing in the forest, not that far from her, but a good distance where she couldn't seem them. They looked at each other and concealed themselves behind a bush in case Alex woke up and saw them.

"What should we do?" Will whispered to his friend.

"I s'ppose that we should try to talk to 'er, and if she refuses, we grab 'er and take 'er back." Allan said briefly pondering about the best course of action to over take and drag her back, despite any force used against her would be the worst plan.

Will skeptically looked at him, and Allan replied, "Trust me mate." and started walking towards Alex before Will could object.

Alex laid against the tree, oblivious to the world around her and the cocky man approaching her. She began drifting into a guarded sleep. She winched at the dream of being stuck in the dungeon again, but this time she was being dragged into a torture chamber by a guard. She was mumbling and tossing her head when she was awoken by a yell.

"'Ey, future girl!" Allan yelled down at her with Will standing a few meters behind him. Alex jumped up startled and scared that it was the guard dragging her to the torture chamber and hit Allan across the face without thinking. Allan fell to the ground with Will looking shocked and Alex stared with big eyes and an open mouth in surprise of what happened.

"Bloody 'ell, woman! Wos that really necessary?!" Allan yelled holding his bruised jaw on the forest floor while trying to hold together his bruised pride.

"I am so sorry Allan. I had no idea it was you." Alex sat onto of he knees by Allan. "I thought you were a guard. I had a dream about that horrible dungeon. Here let me see." She gently took his face in her smaller hands and examined his jaw. "You'll be fine. I didn't think I could punch someone like that. I am sorry."

"Ya I'm fine. Your hand alright?" Allan said, sitting up properly from his unexpected attacker. Alex offered her right hand, and was surprised at the bruising across her knuckles. They were small and didn't hurt, but she had not felt the pain before and becoming aware was making her miss the advil of her century.

"Ya its fine. I suppose I should get used to fighting if I am an outlaw." she said, standing up and brushing dirt off of her person.

"Allan should have not sneaked up one you then, like I thought. Let's go back to the camp." Will said to her. Allan stood up after having finally recovered from the blow.

"I can't I am still looking." Alex said, slightly angry and annoyed that she had been found. But it was better the gang than a guard.

"I ain't bein' funny, but it didn't look like you're doing' much looking." Allan smirked, then winced at the pain.

"Well obviously I am not done. There are a lot more trees. I just need to get home alright." Alex said despite knowing deep down she was stuck here. She was angry and upset at the universe for this. She felt a tear forming in her right eye, and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. The two outlaws saw her wipe away the tear and the fear and uncertainty in her eyes and felt for her. Will and Allan both knew what it was like to be away form one's home and family. Will was forced to flee his father and brother and become an outlaw with Robin. Allan had just watched his brother, Tom hanging from a noose in Nottingham, and had been powerless to help him. They knew how Alex felt, except the part of being separated from everything one knew.

Will was going to say something to make her feel better, but before he could say a syllable, Alex interjected, "Ya know, I don't want your pity... or your help. So please just be on your way." She crossed her arms and silently wished that they would stay and help her.

Will replied, "We can't. Robin's orders. You are going to get yourself killed out here in the open."

"Well, you are just going to have to tie me up and carry me back to your camp. I just need to find my way home. That is all I want." Alex paused trying not to cry, "I just want to be back in a world with the sound of cars honking, obnoxious dubstep or pop singles, and slow wifi, crappy coffee, long lectures and hard essays, and my annoying and lovable roommate, skyping my family, and my fairy lights in my room, and so much more. The worst part is that I feel more at ease here than I ever did at home, and that is terrifying." Alex stopped and tried to hold back her tears. Will and Allan slowly and hesitantly approached her hoping to help the girl some way, whether it was offering her a few words or giving her a shoulder to cry on. Alex was not going to cry though, or at least in front of people. She had a bad habit of hiding emotions, except anger, and not trusting others, and though she liked these men, she barely knew them.

"I guess you are going to take me back now." Alex said looking up at them, offering a fake and unconvincing smile.

"Ya" said Will, with Allan A Dale nodding in agreement, still sore from her blow to his jaw. Alex though for a moment and grinned.

"Well I am not going to make it easy of you." she brushed off the dirt on her and with it any signs of distress. "I might as well have fun before I am scolded by "Master" Robin."

"'irst of all, only Much calls 'im that. Second, do you really have to make it hard for us?" Allan said.

"Ya know, I really do. Now catch me if you can." she said and ran off into the woods, grinning and laughing at making the grown outlaws play tag with her.

It was an hour and an half later when everyone except for Will, Allan, and Alex were back at their makeshift camp. Robin paced, thinking and hoping that Will and Allan had found her, since they had not retuned yet. There was the worst case though. Worst case is that they were captured by the guards and waiting interrogation from the Sheriff. Robin wasn't in the mood for another grand rescue.

Just as he thought this, he saw Will and Allan carrying Alex over his shoulder walking towards them. Allan set her down and Robin saw that her hands and arms were tied in front of her and her legs were all tied up. She smiled up at him and said, "Nice seeing you so soon. I figured that I would have a bit more time before you missed me."

Robin smirked, "Do you need any help?" He nodded towards her binds. Alex rolled here eyes and lifted up her feet and put them near her hands. She then wiggled and jerked so a dagger fell into her lap after much maneuvering. She then proceeded to cut through the rope binding her wrists. She studied the task and bit he flip in concentration. As she freed herself, she said coyly after the much longer than intended pause, "I guess Mr. A Dale doesn't trust me much, after accidentally punching him. I did was fine with me walking freely, but Allan insisted that I was tied up. I don't think I am that big of a deal, but I suppose I am the most important person here." She then freed her arms after a few more minutes of struggling to cut through them and started untying her legs and placed the dagger in her bag. "Sorry about your head, Much. Are you alright?"

Much stood up and crossed his arms, angrily. "Well next time you need to escape looking for this ridiculous tree, I will appreciate not being knocked out. It is very un lady-like." Alex rolled her eyes and playfully stuck out her tongue at him. She always hated it when her father or grandparents said that to her.

Robin added in, "Speaking of un lady-like, we got you some clothes." He tossed Alex some trousers, two shirts, and a hood to go over her jacket. Alex held it up too look at it. She was genuinely surprised that they got her size right, though the trousers were very crudely made. She sighed and wished she had only worn some of her jeans to the party. "Thanks, I suppose I should change. Is there a designated tree or shrub or something for this?" She raised her eyebrows.

Djaq laughed and offered to show her a secluded area not too far away from their camp, and its seclusion made sure that none of the boys spied on her despite being the very gentlemanly for outlaws. Alex grabbed her bag and walked over to the secluded area. She set her bag down and sighed. She silently thought, "I really am stuck here, aren't I? And wearing the clothes that a thrift shop wouldn't even sell." She took off her boots, socks, and skirt and then wriggled into her new trousers. They were a bit tighter on her thighs and bit loose on her bum and were surprisingly high waisted, but they fit better than some of her jeans she left behind at her dorm. They weren't as itchy as she expected, but she would still have to adjust. She wondered how on earth they managed to pick a somewhat accurate fit for her trousers. She put her socks back on ruffling the at the end and put her boots on. She then looked at the shirts. There was a red and green one with short sleeves and had a more cropped style, and though they were darker and crude, they weren't actually that bad and she really needed to wash her current blue shirt. She took off her shirt and thanked God that she had the sense to wear a sports bra to the party. Lily begged her to wear a more "slutty" bra, but as Alex liked being able to dance more and hated the attention her beasts got her from all the painfully straight boys.

She picked the green shirt to wear, in honor of the forest that dragged her to this era. As she picked it up to pull over her head, she noticed a rudimentary necklace fall from it. She bent over and picked it up. She must have not seen it before when Robin gave the clothing to her. The chain was really just some simple twine tied together and the pendant was a small thing of dark wood. On the wood was a unique symbol: a circle with a bow being strung by an arrow. She figured it was some type of dark age ID for the gang. She smiled and also felt a pain in her chest. This was clearly Robin's way of inviting her into the gang. It was a kind offer, and it was obvious to them that she had to take it, but she was just so unsure about everything. And besides, she knew nothing about fighting other than watching old kung fu and Marvel movies, and she doubted watching a super solider hitting aliens with an invincible shield made her skilled enough to take on the trained and armed guards of the Sheriff. Though her punch to Allan was impressive, it was not something she wanted to have to repeat. She reached to put it in her pocket, but then realized she had none. She made a mental note to fix that, and she put the tag next to her bag. She began stuffing her bag with her skirt, shirt, her jacket, and new shirts and hood. She tied the tag around her wrist carefully. She finally grabbed her shirt and as she was about to put it on, she heard the obvious sound of twig snapping and someone watching her. She quickly turned around and saw Allan A Dale staring her with a guilty and scared face.

"Oh I suppose you wanted to see a modern girl's breasts, did you? I will punch you again and on purpose this time!" Alex snapped quickly putting the shirt on and grabbing her bag. She began to storm off to camp. which was a ways away unfortunately, and Allan followed her like a guilty dog.

"I was just checkin' on you to make sure you wasn't gonna run off again. You 'ave been gone for a while." he explained.

"That doesn't make it better. I just take awhile to change! Is your trust in me that small?!" she said spinning so she could face him, "And why are you such a unnerving trickster and playboy? I thought you were some lovesick singer and mandolin player with a feathery hat!"

"Luvsick 'inger? I ain't in love and never will be. And I don't 'ave any hats or a good singin' voice." he said displeased and putting his hands on his hips.

"Shame. I love singing. I even had a band, well not really. My ex had a band. But lets forget about that. I should yell at you for spying on me!" she said punching him in the arm.

"'Ey! Robin was the one who told me to get ya. Don't shoot the messenger." Allan rubbed his arm where she had punched him.

"Unless the messenger is a pervert." she raised her eyebrows and walked off to the camp, slinging her bag over he shoulder.

She walked in ruffling her hair and fixing her headband and threw her bag on the ground next to the logs surrounding the fire. Everyone stared at her. If they had not seen her before and had not known her bizarre origins, they would have thought she was just another outlaw in the forest making a living, but a beautiful female outlaw. She looked like she belonged to the forest, this era, and the gang.

She put the dagger in her boot and carefully took the tag from her wrist. She walked over to where Robin was staring at her and held out the tag so it was dangling from her open palm.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't. I can't fight and kill, and I can't sit around and do nothing. Also I cannot cook or clean to save my life, so forget that sexist idea. Thank you for everything… again. But I guess I should head over to the next city or town or shire or whatever." She held out the tag for him to take.

Robin came closer to her and grabbed her overstretched hand offering the tag. "Nonsense" he said, "Just because you can't fight, does not mean you are fighter. You have spirit and courage. You bravely stood there at what you thought was your inevitable death and still used your wit to annoy the Sheriff. You also took that sword and fought the guards off, when you could have just stood there and waited for us to finish the job. You have a natural bravery. That cannot be taught unlike shooting arrows, swordplay, and wrestling." He took the tag and hung it over her head and let go so it rest just above her breasts. "We want you to join us. It was a group vote and all of voted yes. Now I will not stop you if you leave and I understand your loss, but we can be your new family and friends. We can teach and train you and bring you an adventure you could never have with your internet, microwave pizza, and Google."

Alex looked around at the gang surrounding her. She smiled knowing that this was where she belonged. "Well, I guess I better learn how to hold a sword then." She smirked as everyone sighed of relief and cheered. They went over and patted her on the back and gave her what she assumed was an alcoholic beverage. She raised the flask in a toast. "To new, or well technically old, beginnings." She smirked and took a drink. "Damn but also bless that tree," she thought, "I'm where I am supposed to be."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Even after all my pleas and offers, I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and plots. I only own my own characters. I would like to thank the user knarl for words of wisdom and advice. Her story is pretty awesome so check it out. Remember to follow, favorite, and review. Everything helps. Enjoy. **

Chapter 5

The rest of the day she spent talking, celebrating, and training. Alex was always a very ambitious person and insisted that she begin at once, but also was insecure and scared and wanted to be skilled as soon as possible. They would celebrate the new member that night as they ate and drank by the fire. Robin smiled at the girl's determination. He knew that she would be a great addition and she could always offer new insight. She after all, was a woman with higher education and knew many things he couldn't even fathom, though he would never admit it. She had a strong, stubborn, determined will and a smart, intelligent, witty mind. She also had a very pretty face and fit body, though he would never say that out loud in fear of one of his men hearing and Marian catching word. "Oh Marian!" he thought, "She will surely have information on Sheriff Vaisey's plan to eradicate the 'witch'." He also figured he would need to explain the rescue and inviting Alex into the gang to her.

Alex was waiting for her first training session from Robin as he made the announcement he had to go see Marian, so he appointed Djaq and Allan to teach her. Allan was a good fighter and a dirty one. Alex needed to be trained quickly and fighting a cheater would benefit her. Djaq as a woman would have better knowledge of how to exactly teach her to hold her sword and bow and how to move properly and improve strength and endurance. Djaq was also an excellent fighter despite her size and could teach Alex how to use her smaller, female body to her advantage. Alex rolled her eyes and glared at Robin at the slightly sexist comment and him ditching her, but brushed it off with her signature smirk and eyebrow raise.

"Ya know, I suppose you must see your girlfriend. Just be quick. I might actually try to kill Allan here, the perv." Alex glared at the quick tongue man. Allan was leaning on a tree with his arms crossed. He said smiling, "Well I suppose if you're gonna shoot the messenger, the messenger better teach ya how to shoot 'im." He smiled at his cleverness while Alex scowled at it.

"Now you go practice and train. Djaq help Alex and supervise them. I can't have you killing him on the first day, Alex." Robin said grabbing his bow and quiver of arrows and began heading off to Knighton Hall.

Alex grabbed what she had declared her personal sword and sheathed it in her new belt and fastened it across her waist, smiling at her female friend. "Ya know, we better start." Djaq smiled in reply and started walking to nearby clearing, better suited for practicing with the even ground. Alex followed her with confidence in her step despite having a lethal weapon on her person and despite knowing she was going to have to fight a much better fighter with it. Allan stayed longer at the camp and got a drink, procrastinating his lesson. He grabbed his own sword and belt and bow and arrows and headed of to the practice area much later with great reluctance. He did not want to spend all of his day babysitting the strange girl. She was fun to talk and banter with, but she got on his nerves sometimes, as he did hers. He also was still upset at the punch his jaw received despite her multiple apologies and it being an accident. He was not proud or happy to say that she was the first woman to take him down.

Allan also had a very long list of things he would rather do than teach her how to hold a sword and swing it. However when he reached where they were practicing, he was stunned when he saw Alex and Djaq fighting already, and Alex was actually holding her own. It was obvious she was not used to holding the sword and its weight, but as she stood in a proper stance and attacked and defended and her hair back and tied up with tied twine, with the exception of her layered fringe, she looked like she had been fighting with a sword forever. She was a natural.

Allan stood on higher ground and watched from besides a tree in shock. Djaq told Alex how and where to stand and what to look for and how to attack and defend as they fought. Alex was a quick learner and soon the two women were in an almost fair fight. As they began a new match again, Alex stood in the proper stance and swung her sword in a circle besides her slowly as she observed Djaq's movements, predicting her actions. Alex then attacked the smaller women, almost catching her off guard and they battled it out for awhile. Allan could see Djaq was genuinely trying and Alex was giving it to her all. Alex blocked all of Djaq's blows and she could easily see what Djaq was planning on doing. It was like being in a fluent in a language of parries and attacks and metal on metal. She could tell when and where Djaq was going to strike, as well as her vulnerable areas. Alex knew what to do, but eventually faltered under the weight of her weapon and Djaq won with her own sword at Alex's throat. It was a long and hard fight for the girls. Djaq was incredibly impressed. Allan approached them applauding. "And 'ere I thought I was gonna have to teach ya how to just swing it." he said.

Alex wiped some sweat from her forehead and smiled. "Ya know, I did play with 'swords' when was little like you all probably did. Except my little brother and I called them lightsabers and we had cloaks and called ourselves Jedi and used the force, so maybe not like you guys when you really think about it." She pushed her fringe out of her face and retied her hair in the little twine that held it up. Allan felt a pang of guilt and loss when she mentioned having a little brother. It was not even a fortnight ago since he had lost Tom. He continued his facade however and kept up his signature, winning smile.

Alex studied her sword and continued talking. "Ya know, you really like watching me, don't ya? Of course, my wicked punch put you off a little." She smirked and held her sword and practice some movements Djaq taught her.

"Allan is very much a ladies man. He often has late nights at taverns. Very late nights." Djaq commented with her Eastern accent. Alex laughed and Allan blushed at the comment. He normally would brag to the lads about his late night escapades and didn't mind Djaq hearing, since he considered her one of the lads, but Alex was obviously a female, and Allan for an unknown reason was flustered at the comment about his nights with the tavern girls.

"'Ey! I thought we were suppose' to be trainin', not gossipin'." the girls chuckled and tried keeping a straight face at Allan's obvious embarrassment. Allan glared at them, still flustered, and tossed Alex his bow and a quiver full of arrows. "Now yer gonna be learnin' how to shoot. This is my personal bow, so please, don't break it." Alex caught them grinning and slung the strap of the quiver full of arrows over her shoulder. Allan walked over to a tree and tied a red piece of cloth to a branch a only slightly higher than Alex and a few meters away, a good distance but nothing too challenging. He then walk over to where she stood. "Show me what ya got." he said crossing his arms in front of his chest and staring at her focused on her body movements.

"Alright then. I guess I just have to shoot that." Alex said. She had little to none experience with this, but she had watched movies with archers shooting. She figured she knew the basics.

She notched her arrow on the taunt string and drew it. She pulled the string as far as she could and aimed the arrow slightly above the cloth and let go. The arrow went way off its course and landed only two thirds of the way to its target. Alex muttered and notched her arrow again. Before drawing, Allan walked over and reached out, grabbing her hands. "'ere. You aim like this and take a breathe." he said holding her hands and aiming towards the cloth. He guided her with his body against her back as she pulled back. "Now breathe and let go" he said. Alex took a deep breathe and as she released the air, she let go of the bow and the arrow flew, barely hitting its target. "See, its not that hard luv. Now you can shoot your rooster whenever you want." Allan said walking away to give the girl some space.

"Allan have you picked out a nickname for yourself and actually called me 'luv'?" Alex asked raising her eyes and notching another arrow. "Ya know, I didn't expect you to be the sentimental type."

"Nothin' is sentimental about me. Just figured you were one of those gals that liked to be called luv and liked to be all sweet with handsome guys like myself." he said in defense.

"I'd rather die before being showered in pet names and calling someone a pet name." She drew her bow and focused on her position. She took a breathe and fired the arrow on her own and without Allan's presence guiding her The arrow was on target, but she lacked the necessary strength to get its speed and precision. Though it wasn't the best shot, it was good enough for her. "Ya know, I do however like Rooster." she smirked at him and notched an arrow. Allan smirked back at her. "Ya you can thank the Disney fella ya like so much for that. Now put your feet farther apart." he said looking at her stance. Alex rolled her eyes and drew once again. This time she rushed her draw and completely missed the target.

"Though you are a natural at sword play, you need a lot of work with the bow. And your strength. Are all the people where you are form so weak?" Djaq asked taking a sip of water form her flask.

"Depends. I personally just never had reason to be so strong. Now Rooster, are you gonna help me or what?"

Robin sat on the edge of Marian's bedroom window and waited for her. He soon the footsteps of the lady and smiled. She entered her room and shut her door behind her and as she turned around, flinched at the unexpected outlaw smiling and sitting on her window.

"Robin! What are you doing here?! And what were you doing rescuing the witch yesterday?" the dark haired lady asked approaching the smirking archer.

"Alex is not a witch. She's just from far away and she's now apart of my gang. I just came here to make sure you weren't jealous of the company I keep." Robin looked up at Marian and winked at her.

"Why would I be jealous about you? And where is this girl from? The Sheriff is furious that he let one of Hoods associates slip from his fingers, and a mysterious one no less." she replied glaring at him.

"I think you are always jealous about me." Robin smirked and placed his hands on the top his bow, balancing it straight with the other end touching Marian's bedroom floor. "Alex is from very far away and she cannot return home yet. I just am asking you to try to ease Vaisey's anger towards her."

"And how do you suppose I should do that?" Marian asked upset.

"You can use your womanly charms." Marian glared at the comment. "Alex is a good person and she really doesn't want that much trouble. She is very new to all of this. Now I do have to go. Say hello to your father.. and Guy for me." Robin then jumped out of her window safely and started heading back to his home, the forest. Marian looked out her window and the outlaw and muttered under her breathe that he was a cocky, righteous man for doing all of this, but he was a good man for doing all of this. She would help him and the foreign girl even though she saw no reason to. As far as she was concerned, the girl was trouble. The audacity to call out the Sheriff, despite her impending death, was incredibly dangerous. Vaisey now had a personal grudge against her. She also was appalled at the girl's wardrobe. Did this Alex have no shame? She decided to gather some information, but she would not speak of the girl to anyone. She trusted Robin and his decisions, even though she would never admit it to him, but didn't see why she had to go out of the way to protect this disgraceful woman.

Robin walked back to the temporary camp. He found Much cooking and the rest of the gang listening to Alex and Allan argue about something. He laughed mentally at the fear he had before the girl that wouldn't be able to fit in. He walked over and greeted everyone and listened in to the huge debate.

"Ya know, I think I forgot what we were initially arguing about, Rooster." Alex said crossing her arms.

"Pretty sure it was 'bout how you luv my charms and looks." Allan smirked, "And how you are just shy to tell me it."

"Ridiculous, I think it was how I managed to wrestle you to the ground in a few minutes today on the first try on sparring hand to hand and you are just too shy to admit defeat. And I did punch you too." Alex raised her eyebrows at him and looked at the captivated group, "I think everyone was present and listening, except Robin who was busy." she smirked at him and looked at the rest of the gang, "Do you all recall what started this huge debate?"

Everyone thought for a minute. Will was the first to respond, "Pretty sure it was about Allan's charms, if they exist."

"'Ey! You can't insult me if you are on my side." Allan responded to his friend. Will shrugged and chuckled, amused.

"No I think it was about Alex beating Allan." Djaq said, "And it was very impressive. Allan was basically standing, not expecting much from her, _again, _and she completely knocked him over and twisted his arms that he was begging for mercy." The two girls smiled at each other and laughed.

"I believe it was Alex beating Allan, but it quickly switched to his _charms. _Or was it the other way around?" Much thought about it, but interrupted his own though. "This is ridiculous. You are arguing about your arguing!"

"Exactly. It does not matter." John added.

"Well I think Alex should win whatever this is because it is her first night here as one of us." Robin said. Alex beamed at him and Allan glared, their similar blue eyes contrasting each other by their expression, but both contained the playful spirit behind them.

"You already got Marian. You don't need to flirt with others gals." Allan whined.

"I think someone is a bitter loser." Robin responded. Alex stood up next to Robin and put her hands on her hips.

"I think as winner I get a prize of not washing the dishes tonight." she beamed at everyone else.

"You can't just get out of the chores. We have a system." Much said, "I just figured out how to add you in!"

"Pity that I won then." Alex smiled and raised her hand for a high five from Robin. Robin looked at her confused.

"Oh you medievals. Here," she grabbed Robin's hand with her other hand and raised it to hit her other hand. "It's a high five. It is a celebratory action. Like 'Woah we just didn't get hanged. High five!' or 'Hey, I just caught five rabbits to eat. High five!' or 'My wife and children didn't die of the plague. High five!'. It applies to a wide range of things."

"Is that all you think we do here?" Will asked amused at the girls examples, "Survive hanging and the plague and go hunting."

"Well you probably mention stuff about king and country and all that and get extremely drunk." Alex shrugged. "No offense of course."

"None taken. Now how about we have supper and celebrate our newest member." Robin proposed and everyone agreed, with Allan offering a high five to Will, who rolled his eyes and left his friend sitting alone. ""Ey don't leave me here. I don't know what to do now!" he yelled at him. Alex high five him and laughed. "You accept your loneliness with grace and awkwardness."

The night continued on and everyone went to sleep. Alex laid down on her mat and looked up at the stars and smiled. She is the only person in existence to have seen constellations hundreds years apart, even though they didn't look that different. She looked up at the stars and the trees blocking them until she eyes closed and she could no longer see them or the fire flickering nearby.

Alex screamed for help. The flames were rising and the heat was unbearable. She couldn't make out much, just the yelling of the peasant's anger and hatred, and the sight of the smiling Sheriff. She cried out for help and tried to free herself from the ropes and chains biding her to the stake, but they held tight binding her to a fate of inevitable flames. They were increasing and coming closer, licking at her tender, ivory skin and turning it into red, blistering pain. Alex looked around the crowd for help and saw Robin looking at her. She then saw the rest of the gang in crowd: Will and Djaq, Allan, Much, and John. She cried out for them to help her and free her, but they remained in the crowd and their faces contorted into hatred and bloodlust. She screamed that she couldn't die. She had her family and friends back home. She then saw all of her future loved ones in the crowd. Every face of familiarity sneered and yelled at her, cheering on the snarling flames. The flames were at her feet and the pain was unbearable and forcing screams out of her even with an extremely dry throat and there was no possibility of being saved. As she was trying to free herself from the pain and death, she felt herself be shaken and heard Allan's voice softly, faintly whispering her name.

Alex shot up from her sleeping mat gasping for breathe, sweat clinging to her pale skin and shaking. "It was just a dream," she heard, "Just a dream." She tried to calm herself down, but was still frightened.

"You alright?" Allan asked. She didn't realize that he was there, and that he was hugging her tightly. She stared at him confused. "Me mum used to do this to me and my brother. I had terrible terrors when I was a lil one." he explained unraveling his muscled arms from her frightened, smaller body.

Alex shifted herself to be sitting up, creating space between them. "Thanks Allan. I am just a little freaked out with the whole almost died in the dark ages by being burned alive thing." she wiped away some tears from her eyes, offering a weak smile and brushed her dirty blonde hair out of her face. "Did I wake you or anyone else?"

"Nah, I was already awake. You weren't going on that much, but terrified though. I suppose this all must be new to you, regular death and fighting and facin' it ev'ry day." Allan replied.

"Ya I guess. Ya know, this place is barbaric, no offense, but where I am from, its no different. The same wars, same problems of poverty and illness and corruption, same barbaric acts. It is just shinier and more hidden where I am from." she moved herself so she sat across from Allan, "Ya know, it doesn't matter. Why were you up?"

"You ain't the only one here with nightmares. Everyone 'ere faces 'em, but I'm just hidin' from them right now."

"What are your nightmares?" she asked concerned.

Allan debated telling the girl what really plagued him. He was after all cheery, happy Allan and not someone who talked about their feelings. But he sensed that she would understand and not tell anyone about his guilt. He figured that she is worth of a small sliver of trust. He took a breathe and replied. "Me brother, Tom. It was always my job to protect 'im. He joined the gang not long ago, but got in some trouble and the Sheriff hung 'im and his friends. I was too late to save 'im." he said leaving himself exposed for the first time in his life.

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine that. I mean I can, I have lost all my loved ones, but at least I know that when I left them, they were happy and healthy. I have only really encountered death once until arriving here. But I know that it gets easier with time and you shouldn't blame yourself for any of it. Remember him as he would have wanted to be remembered." she said seeing his pain and guilt hidden behind his blue eyes. She once before had felt that pain, but she was only a little girl and can barely remember it now.

"Ya he got a better and more noble death than he was ever gonna get without Robin. And who did you love that died?" he replied.

"Robin is ever the savior, Rooster. And it doesn't matter. It was when I was a very young girl." she said offering a cheery smile with a hidden plead to continue on. These were the moments Alex hid herself, and she knew that the only thing she could trust was logic and herself in these moments. 'But what about now?' she thought, 'Everything has changed. The world is not what it seems and I have changed my path completely and done things I could have never done back home. Maybe I could trust someone. Maybe.'

Allan complied after a pause with her silent request, but still curious about her. "I'm not bein' funny, but you got a smart way of speaking. You could trick anyone with your words." he said changing the subject to something more cheery.

"I hope so. You also could convince anyone to do anything with your _charms._ But back home, I was going to be a writer. I was going to write fantastical stories and adventures all from my mind and sell them in print. All I had ever wanted was an adventure, so I wrote about them. Now I am actually having one." Alex laid down on her mat and looked up at Allan. "Ya know, in only a few days, what I thought my destiny was and what I thought I was capable of has completely changed. But I suppose my destiny was always this and I am still the same person, just with a different purpose."

"You do admit I have charms!" he said. Alex laughed in reply. "I was speaking hypothetically and us they do exist, that doesn't mean they will work on me!"

Allan smirked and replied, "We'll see. But a writer? I can't even read or write, like most folks, and you want to make a livin' based on it!" Allan said laid down next her and the both looked up at the night sky. "Your world is more fair to the poor like me."

"Ya know, I do suppose Robin would be the only one to have an education, small as it is. Djaq does, surprisingly, read and write and only because its different where she is from, and she's incredibly clever. How about in exchange for help with the bow and the sword and other training, I'll teach you to read and write? I know you have better things to do, so why not get something in return. Besides, it might come in handy to know."

Allan looked at her and agreed. They shook on their deal and looked up at the night sky for awhile, fighting off their dreaded sleep. The two both laid in silence for only God knows how long, until Allan broke the silence. "Are the stars where you're from different?"

"Ya they are, a little I think. I can't really tell. But I prefer these so much more." Alex looked over to her companion and smiled. Allan smiled back and they went back to star gazing in silence with a silent understanding that they would help each other get through the nightmares and their challenges now and forever.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N It has really been an uphill legal battle with the BBC. I still do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and plots. I only own my characters. This is the first half of episode 8 of season 1. The next half will be coming in a few days. Let me know what you think of this style, what you like, what you hate, if I should be more exact or less. All reviews are appreciated. **

Chapter 6 (Tattoo? What tattoo?)

It had been a few weeks since Alex first arrived, but she more settled in and at home then she ever was at university. She had even lead her own ambush of a a few of the guards carrying some taxes and it went off flawlessly. Everyone was impressed with her and her quick improvement. It was all mainly due to her and Allan practicing.

Alex enjoyed their sessions. They started with Allan making Alex do strength exercises, with swordplay and wrestling following. Alex was getting better every day and Allan would soon have to try his best when fighting her now. She was a natural at it. It was like she was born to be in the gang and fight against the Sheriff and his guard, and with her story, she might have been born and sent here for this purpose. Alex thought that this was her destiny all along, but there was a filing error in heaven or whatever is in charge of fate and she was born in the wrong era.

After the easy stuff, Allan would help Alex with her bow. She lacked in the area, but steadily improved. She now could shoot on target and well, but not very far. She was determined to improve though, and Allan was happy to comply.

At the end of all the training and practice, Alex and Allan would sit down and she would teach him. She first taught him how to sign his name, and then the alphabet and all that. Alex would have him write in the dirt and she watched as she wrote in her own journal. Her writings became her place of solace, and she remembered in all her time travel movies, the scientists always found some future journal or object and used it to harness the portal and wormhole or learn about it. She figured it would come in handy if she never returned, though she would never really think about that possibility after finding her place in the Sherwood forest.

Alex had the deepest bond with Allan, and there was no doubt about it. Everyone in the gang knew that they were friends and close ones, but no one knew that in the middle of the night, the two would just simply stay awake and make sure the other was okay. At this point, they both weren't having any more terrors, but just enjoyed the silent solace they found in each other and the stars that they could see in the forest. They wouldn't chat that often, just a comment to see if the other was awake. They were both unaware of the brutal curiosity about each other. Allan desired to know about the tragedy that affected her and why she is the way she is, stubborn and totally guarded; Alex desired to know about how the two brothers became thieves by necessity and why Allan always used his charms to hide.

Some nights, Alex would sing a favorite song of hers when she thought it was only her awake, longing for a guitar or records and turntable or her phone with her music (she had set it aside with only a 30% battery after using up her extra battery when she filmed herself and the gang for historical record, though it was really just her complaining about chores to upset Much. She would have her mobile if she ever really needed it this way). Allan would always feign sleep to hear her sing. She had the voice of an angel, and she didn't even realize it. Alex always thought it was okay and sang just because she loved words and melodies and rhythm. He thought it was ridiculous at first that she told him he was a minstrel in the Robin Hood legends because he knew nothing of music and never even liked it. However, Alex made him realize that music was a beautiful thing and it was the most comforting thing he has ever had in his entire life, if you could say he had Alex's gorgeous voice. Allan and Alex were happy with the unspoken, but simply sung and written friendship

Alex however did become better friends with the others. Djaq was the person she always talked to, and they talked about anything and everything. Sometimes they debated philosophy, or memories of their different childhoods, or they would teach each other things. Djaq taught Alex about how to identify herbs and plants and their uses, and Alex taught Djaq about modern medicine (which Djaq was fascinated by) and other discoveries and facts only recently confirmed. They also loved to make jokes about the boys, who always loved to showoff for the woman. They would roll their eyes whenever Much puffed up his chest and tried to act all manly and gave each other a look of amusement.

Much was always amusing to Alex. He was always cheerful and optimistic, a great change from the constant death and despair Alex was surrounded with and still adjusting to. Much loved hearing her stories about modern technology, like movies and television, microwaves, the different foods, that vastness of a grocery store, phone calls, and a lot more.

Will and Alex also got along well. Will was like a brother to her; he didn't say much, but paid attention unlike her brother at home who always play xbox. Will once spent an entire day teaching her how to make arrows, which was a very long day filled with Alex nicking her fingers and swearing and complaining. Will was very level headed and helped her through all of it, and Alex had to remember to get him a thank you gift at some point. She knows how much of an ass she can be and it takes a lot to not curse her out and storm away. Alex made that day up to him by always offering to get him wood and keep him company. Will was more silent than Djaq and Much, so Alex would do much of the talking. During these sessions, she would often notice Will staring at Djaq. She knew the two would be good together, but if only he had the courage to tell Djaq.

Little John and her would often go on patrols together. She was the second smallest, by beating Djaq in height, and the least experienced in fighting, despite her excessive training. It was logical to be paired with the bear of a man, whom she knew would protect her if necessary. She was still a wanted witch and member of the outlawed gang, so it was for the best. John Little reminded her of her father in his later, most recent years, where his outward passion has been lessened with age, but he always had words of wisdom. She would always make chat with him on their patrols and would talk about anything she could see bring a smile to him. He didn't talk much, but offered wise words to her when he deemed appropriate. John liked her constant chatter and her stream of thoughts. She spoke a lot, but she always choose her words carefully, even when speaking quickly or rambling nervously. She was incredibly unique and he wondered how he could think so her as something sinister and evil. He thought of her like a daughter now, a new addition to the Sherwood family.

Alex befriended Robin by often talking about new plans for their robbing and the activities, making the gang more efficient. Robin admired her commitment and loyalty and her fresh perspective. Alex had seen _Ocean's Eleven_ enough times to think the castle was easy. It had no cameras, no laser beams, no walkie talkies for the security, and no car chases. When Robin explained a plan of his, Alex would always point out a flaw or a new idea that Robin had easily glossed over. The only thing that he did not like about her was her constant questioning and debating. He knew she was loyal to him and the rest of the gang, but she would loudly voice her disagreement with the Crusade and King Richard. She declared that Richard was just the lesser evil of the two royal brothers. He, or another patriotic member of the gang )usually Much,) often questioned her about where her national pride was, and she would respond that times had changed and it was better if she made her own opinions not based on the ruler, but on the facts. She also explained how the royal family and the Queen did not have absolute power, but England was now a democracy and elected a ministers and a prime minister was the top dog in parliament.

Robin loved her independence and her free attitude, but sometimes it bothered him. She did not know when to rein herself in. Alex's and Marian's first meeting was not a pleasant one. They both were two strong, stubborn women and he feared that they would get into some huge fight. But they soon came to an understanding. It was only a matter of lack of knowledge of their circumstances. Alex did not know of Marian's escapades as the Nightwatchman and accused her of being too scared to do any actual good; Marian did not know Alex being whisked away into an entirely different world in a matter of seconds, she presumed she was from France or another European country (they said she was forced to flee a far away home, not time travel since it was so hard to believe) and accused her of having some sort of ulterior motive and being a whore. But once they got an understanding, they liked each other a bit more. Marian reminded Alex of a friend she had and all they would do is try to get higher GPAs and A level scores than each other. It wasn't the best friendship, but they helped one another and Alex had talked to her after leaving sixth form. Alex was just happy that she was fitting in.

Alex woke up that morning under a crude tent to Robin muttering in his sleep. She groggily opened here eyes and tired to make sense of her awareness. Allan was next to her, as usual, but Much was up sitting and speaking to Robin. He was ranting softly about the King's birthday and how Robin saved his life the Holy Land. Alex closed her eyes again, giving the former soliders privacy. Allan was right that first night of being in the gang when he said everyone had nightmares. Alex could barely fathom what Robin and Much went through in the Crusade. The Crusades were wars with a barbaric purpose and barbaric means and barbaric deaths. Alex also thought that they still continued on in her world, with terrorists like ISIS and the Taliban and the constant fighting there. 'I suppose this is where it all started,' she thought whenever it was mentioned.

She drifted back into a light sleep, when Robin woke her and everyone up. He smiled proudly and Alex chuckled internally at Much's exasperated face. "Gang, today is the King's birthday, and I have to perfect plan to celebrate. We are going back to Locksley." He grinned like a child at Christmas and explained his plan to ruin Guy's day.

Alex entered Robin's former home behind John after he pushed the door in. Robin smirked at Guy and instructed everyone to give up their valuables and go into another room till the gang had all left as he walked down the stairs to his rightful home smugly. Guy snarled, "Do what he says," while giving him a look that could kill. Robin socially replied, "Wise decision then." He saw Alex take some jewelry off of a noble woman and smiled sinisterly at her, "It seems like you kept the _witch _in your company." Alex rolled here eyes and continued on muttering, "It seems like someone is overcompensating." earning a chuckle from Djaq.

John yelled at all the invited guests to move into the room as the outlaws took the rich possessions they had on their persons. Robin thanked them for their "donations" to the poor of Nottinghamshire and looked at Marian who gave him a very satisfied smirk. Robin also smiled at Guy who was seething with anger. Everyone could see his anger from the criminal interruption pulsing from him and his leather outfit. Allan and Alex heard the signal from Will, and Allan said to the outlaws that they had to go they had to go. Robin continued his glare and said, "Nearly done."

He set down his bow as Much yelled for his master. Robin approached Guy, Marian, and her father Edward. Guy began to reach for his sword but Djaq pulled out her blade as a warning. Marian's father said to the smug outlaw, "Robin, this is ugly."

Rob replied to him, "Yes this is ugly." He then glared at Guy. "This my house. So Marian-"

Guy interrupts him. "Back off, Locksely. Marian does not carry money about her person." At this intersection. Little John came over and raised a staff at Gisbourne's neck and Alex slowly drew her sword.

Robin continued glaring at the continually treated Guy. "How do you know?" the leader said curtly.

Marian calmly and innocently responded to the outlaw. "He is right. I do not carry money."

Robin turned to her, adopting a more flirting, smug persona. "My compliments," he said looking at the ground and back up at the lady, "You are wise to take precautions when there are so many unsavory characters around."

Allan looked around in aggravation at Robin's instance on annoying Guy through Marian, and pulled Alex with him out of the house to join Will. Mush remained wide eyed at his master and his lack of concern to leave. Robin continued despite the absence of the members of his gang and the disapproval of one. "But this ring though.." He appraised it with his thieving eyes and scoffed.

Little John turned to Robin and said with urgency, "Robin… signal." As the biggest gang member urged the leader to go, the Sheriff's carriage was approaching the manor.

Robin continued appraising and admiring the ring on Marian's slender and well manicured hand, a sign of her wealth and luxury. Guy looked at her hand in rage. "You've taken everything else. You can leave that." he said mustering up his authoritative voice.

Marian looked at Robin with pleading eyes, mumbling his name; he leaned in asking, "What?" with a whisper. As he did this, John yelled at him, reminding him once again of their signal to leave and the big man backed away towards the back door. Robin quickly kissed Marian's hand, slipping of her new engagement ring and backed away from the unhappy couple. John went out the back door with much after the servant handed his bow to his master.

"We should do this again. It was entertaining." Robin replied with a smirk.

As the outlaw turned around, Gisbourne drew his dagger, saying, " it any luck, once will be enough". But Robin expertly parried his attack. He spun Gisbourne around pinning his arm behind him and pushing him against the wall of the manor as Edward escorted his daughter out of harm's way. Robin pulled the dagger from Guy's hand and in doing so, Guy spun around using his sword for his attacks. Robin expertly blocks it and with Gisbourne's arm raised. He pinned his sleeve to the wall by the stairs using the dagger. Gisbourne tried to reach for the outlaw, but he soon had the outlaw's saracen sword pointed at him with the outlaw grinning. Robin backed away with Guy glaring at him.

Guy tore his sleeve from the dagger while getting free, and in the process revealed a tattoo with a white scar across it on his now bare arm. Robin's face transformed from his usual cocky charm grin to wide eyed and stunned. Robin's mind immediately flashed back to the tattoo he sliced when protecting the king in the Holy Land from a saracen attack, but he corrected himself because he now realized it was actually an English attack.

Gisbourne smirked at the shocked outlaw. "Surprise."

"It was you." Robin replied completely startled. Robin was still where he stood, unknown to him that the Sheriff was about to enter his former home. Gisbourne drew out the dagger from the wall as Djaq stepped in front of her shocked leader. "Robin! What is the matter with you?!" Wake up!" she said trying to get Robin to return to reality. Djaq pushed him out of the house, but in doing so, Guy hit her on the head with the hilt of his dagger, knocking her to the ground with an ugh of pain. Robin escaped just as the Sheriff entered.

Gasbourne sheathed his sword as the Sheriff looked at the scene of a "man" hunching over not the ground. "Food poisoning?" Gisbourne ignored his superior's comment and exited his manor. leaving Edward and Marian in shock and the Sheriff confused. The guards accompanying Vaisey entered the room to assist in any way possible, which was arresting the saracen man.

Allan, Alex, Will, and John rode off as fast as they could from the manor and village. Robin sat on his horse, looking back at Guy and glaring at the traitor. Much rode by biding his master to come along with them.

Guy followed the outlaws into the Sherwood forest on horseback in hot pursuit of Robin Hood. Alex, Allan, Will, John, and Much managed to get away, but Robin stayed behind. They did not realize until they were far away at their camp.

"Where is Robin?" asked concerned Much who looked frantically around on top of his horse.

""E'll find his way back." Allan replied, getting off his horse. The others got off as well and sent their stolen horses away towards where they originated from. Allan came over and assisted Alex down from her horse. She hated riding almost as she did working with her bow and arrow, and she often felt sick after riding at fast speeds. Her stomach was adjusting slowly to it.

Allan grabbed her arms and she hopped down with his support. She smiled at the outlaw and grabbed her bag of stolen loot. She fished through it as Will, Much, and John started heading back to Robin.

"Oh! Look at this!" Alex said pulling out a fancy, ornate, and huge necklace. "Does this make my eyes look too big?" she asked Allan laughing, holding the necklace up to her neck. It was a large piece with many jewels. Alex thought it belong in the Tower of London.

"I'm not bein' funny, but it only shows off a bit of your wealth." Allan replied in joke as well. Alex and Allan joined the other outlaws silently joking until they heard aloud shout.

"WHO ELSE?!"

Alex pulled Much and Allan behind a covered area to conceal themselves. They did not know what was going on and it could be dangerous. John and Will hid with her, and then they saw who the voice came from. It was Robin, but it wasn't. It was a much angrier, harsher, _deadlier _Robin.

Guy was standing a few feet away from the leader and smirked at him.

Robin regained his composure. "I will find out, and when I do, I will see you all hanged for treason."

Gisbourne raised his eyebrows amused. "Oh, and when will that be?"

"When the king returns."

"I wouldn't hold your breathe."

"The King will return."

"_If _the King returns, I still win. I win Marian." Gasbourne then bent down to pick up his stolen ring, keeping eye contact with Robin. However he did drop his gaze; as soon as he did, Robin ran forward and kicked him in the face, knocking the leather clad man to the ground. Robin pulled out his sword and help it to Guy's neck as he laid facing upwards on the ground. Alex unconsciously grabbed Allan's arm in shock and fright and the sudden violence that she had not seen Robin exhibit before.

Gisbourne taunted the outlaw. "What are you going to do? Cut my other arm?"

"No. I am going to kill you." Robin looked down with hatred in his eyes.

"NO!" Alex yelled running up to her leader and out of the concealed place with Allan, Will, Little John, and Much besides her.

"Killing, we do not do." Little John added.

"He's right. At least that is what you taught us." Will said shocked at the righteous leader turning back on his principles.

"Exactly. You can't go back on your beliefs for _him._" Alex added crossing her arms puzzled at what was going on. "He is not worth you tarnishing your ethics and principles."

"We do not take part in blood shed… unless absolutely necessary." Much added, the least shocked of everyone at his master's violence.

When it came to Allan to offer words of wisdom, he meekly shrugged, earning an eyebrow raise from Alex.

Robin stood up, releasing Gisbourne from the threat of his curved sword. As he looked down at the traitor, he kicked him rendering him unconscious. "That was necessary."

Little John gave him a nod of understanding while Alex looked at him annoyed, adding an annoyed glance towards Allan. She then looked around frantically.

"Ya know, I don't see Djaq any where." she said unconsciously tapping the hilt of her sword.

"Where is Djaq?" Will added in the middle of her statement. The gang looked at each other anxious and at Robin for an answer.

Gisbourne was soon tied to a tree and gagged in the forest and was surrounded by the outlaws. Robin was stomping around him and threw his things at the ground, returning the glare of their prisoner.

Will calmly stood there and said, "Djaq is our priority. She's one of us."

Robin approached the carpenter angry at the thought of betraying the king. "How long before Gasbourne's men come looking of rather master? I need to sort this out and I need to sort this out now." Robin points at Gasbourne yelling louder. "This man is a traitor. He tried to kill the king."

"I'm not bein' funny, but I didn't see it." Allan replied to the evidence about the tattoo.

"Nor did I." Will added.

"Robin! We can't let this claim all of our focus. In the court of law, basing evidence on one man's word with an extreme bias is ridiculous. You could just be reaching for something that isn't there!" Alex said concerned and upset at him.

Robin turned to Much raising his arms asking his brother in arms and servant for support. Much looked around in consideration. He hesitantly replied remembering that day in the Holy Land. "You sent me for help, remember?"

Robin paced around the forest in distress. Will then said, "You were about to kill him. What happened to your famous justice… trials and evidence-"

Robin interrupted the man with a roar. " I'M TELLING YOU IT WAS HIM! HE'S NOT EVEN TRYING TO DENY IT!" Robin tried to regain his patience and stepped towards his prisoner. "He tried to kill the King in Acre. He stabbed me and left me for dead… and then he went for the King." The two glared at each other in deep hatred.

"Let him be tried fairly in public, then he will be a traitor. Killing him here will make him a victim. Are you wiling to risk your name and all of your good work?" Alex questioned.

"I thought you said a Saracen stabbed you." Allan said.

"That was before I realized it was Gisbourne!" Robin yelled back.

"Well get your story straight." Allan said in his defense.

Robin yelled exasperated at what he thought were his loyal friends. "I told you I fought him! I cut his arm…his tattoo. Look!"

"You didn't mention tattoos." Allan replied causing Robin to ruffle and grip his hair in frustration. "I don't remember any mention of tattoos. Anyway, that is not the point. The point is…" Allan said before being interrupted by Will.

"They've got Djaq." Robin turned to Will frowning.

"We cannot leave her." Much said.

"We have to rescue Djaq." Alex added staring at Robin in defiance.

"They could be torturing her." said Will.

Robin looked at his gang shocked and exasperated. "Do any of you understand what treason is?!"

"I understand what torture is." Allan said bluntly. This earned a softened, concerned look for Alex, but she then resumed glaring at Robin.

"Robin, we got to Nottingham, for Djaq." Little John concluded.

"This… is for England." Robin said suddenly turning around and punching Gasbourne in the face. "This is for England too." He punched him again, making Allan and Will hold him back.

"Robin!" Little John yelled. As Allan was struggling to over take him, John hit him in the head with his staff, putting Robin unconscious. Much could only stare at his fallen master and his comrades.

"Sorry." John said to the gang.

"Ya know, I'm not." Alex said, squatting down next to Robin and checking his breathing. The rest of the gang looked shocked at John and shocked at Robin's sudden change.

Djaq looked at the jailor and the Sheriff. She silently cursed that her plan did not work and she wasted some of the acid. Getting caught only increased her punishment. She listened carefully to her captors' conversation, remaining still until the Sheriff approached her holding her vial.

"Did you make this yourself, my friend?" he asked chuckling.

Djaq reached out for it impulsively and stupidly. The Sheriff grabbed her attacking hand and held it tight.

Vaisey continued chuckling. "Oh, come on. Do tell." Djaq remained focused and composed and did not dignify him with a response. "Solid iron." he chuckled. The Sheriff then poured some of the acid onto her arm carefully. The Saracen grunted in pain. "Ooh, ouch. Vicious stuff. Nasty." he mockingly commented. Djaq continued enduring the pain.

"Very. Shall we have him killed?" the jailer asked.

"Killed? Don't be ridiculous. If he can make more of this I might even kiss him." And with that the Sheriff departed.

Djaq was soon brought to a new room in the castle. She was forced to follow behind the Sheriff with two gaudy by her side, preventing any sort of escape. The Sheriff entered the room and faced towards her as she remained standing in the hallway.

"Alchemy." he said raising his hands showing off the room. "Marvelous idea" he said walking around a table in the room with Djaq following him studying what the room contained. "Frustrating results… especially if you're my alchemist." The Sheriff then carefully grabbed a skull off of one of the wooden, hanging shelves. "This is my last one." He handed it to Djaq who opened the top of the skull shocked. The Sheriff continued pacing around the room talking, "Inkwell, poor fellow. Good boy. Handsome, a bit like you. Soft hands." Djaq closed the skull as he talked and looked down at her hands, fearing the he figured out her true identity. "But his alchemy, well it was wretched, depressing. I shall have to say, I was very depressed. But then you came along, with your wonderful Saracen… what is it?"

"Zayt al-Zaj." Djaq bitterly replied.

"Well, whatever hm? Liquid that can burn through solid metal." he said going around the room again so we walked behind her. "Well."

Djaq stepped back and faced Vaisey. "Who'd have thought of that? So… I want you to make me a batch." He took the skull from the Saracen and turned to put it back.

With the skull still in his hands, Djaq replied, "I do not know how."

The Sheriff turned back towards her and tapped the skull, his former employee.

"I need particular ingredients." Djaq responded, "I do not see them here." The Sheriff put the skull on the shelf and walked towards the door.

"We have guards, over there on the door. They'll get you whatever you need. You have, shall we say two days?" The Sheriff stopped and chuckled. "Joke. Two hours."

Djaq was then left in the alchemy room and she looked at what she had.

It was not the best plan, but it would have to work. Allan, John, and Will sat at the front of the wagon, driving the horses, and Alex, due to her being the smallest compared to the forest men, had to hide in burlap in the back admist the produce. Alex protested and volunteered Will to do it for her, but there were still whispers about the escaped witch, and as plan cheekily said, "I'm not bein' funny, but with your little nose and 'retty pale skin, you'll be recognized instantly."

"Ya I suppose your nose has the abused and oppressed peasant thing." Alex replied chuckling. "I'll do it, but you have to admit to everyone _again_ after this that you think I am pretty."

"I didn't say anythin' like that. No offense, but you're the ugliest girl I've ever seen." Allan replied with his joking smirk on his face. The two's conversation was broken up and John shushed at them and ordered them to their places.

Alex hid in the burlap and the boys disguised themselves and got in the front. They approached the castles gate and the guard demanded a toll in. Allan obliged as the guards checked the back for everything. Alex remained absolutely still. The guard was soon paid and everything went fine, despite a homeless peasant recognizing the boys somewhat.

They entered the grounds and Alex, Allan, Will, and John all with their disguise or their hoods up and were sneaking into the castle carefully. As they entered into the dark hall way of the castle, and asking from column to column Will said, "I don't suppose anyone's given any thought as to how to get back out again?"

"Ya know, we will just figure it out later." Alex replied annoyed.

"Yes. Later! We came for Djaq!" Little John added.

As the gang was trying to avoid detection when rescuing their friend, Djaq came up with a very clever idea.

Not long after, the Sheriff entered the Alchemy room.

"I have finished." Djaq said curtly.

"So quickly? We can test it on your outlaw friends." the Sheriff replied with a sinister look on his face. Djaq glanced down calmly at the mention of her friends. "According to my kitchen master, they've arrived already." He chuckled as the Saracen stared at him with a look that could kill, "Oh, you were expecting to be rescued? Hm? They won't think of looking for you here."

Djaq then calmly poured a small pitcher into the bowl of powder at her work station. The powder reacted and filled the room with a dense smoke that filled the already dark room.

"What are you doing?" the Sheriff asked nervous. Djaq calmly lifted her vest over her mouth as he panicked and called of this guards and slipped out of the room. Once she was behind his goons, she ran out into the hallway.

She yelled at the guards present to sound the alarm and there was a fire and she kept running out as the Sheriff called for his guards.

The gang minus three entered the dungeon cautiously. They found all the cells empty and the doors ajar. They each went and made sure it was all empty.

"There's no one here." commented Will.

"Ya know, this is not right at all." Alex replied looking around confused.

"No prisoners, not even a jailer. Wh-?" Will said befor being cut off by Allan.

"I'm not bein' funny. You don't think this could be a" The main doors opened, filling the once obsolete dungeon. The outlaws there the cloaks back and grabbed their weapons ready for a fight.

"A trap" Little John said, finishing Allan's thought, clearly annoyed at the set up.

"Listen, gents. Why don't we talk about this, eh?" Allan said trying, and failing to use his charms. Alex rolled her eyes and then sized up her opponents.

The guards attacked the gang and they defended. They each parry and attack guards, switching their opponent and working together. Allan and Alex blocked as Will attacked form above with his axe, and Little John punched his foe, then moved to another guard and defeated him using his staff. Allan ducks and Alex attacks the guard, ironically off guard. Then a guard grabbed Will, trying to choke him just as Djaq came running in. She knocked one guard out, making Alex and Allan, a natural sword fighting team, with one opponent easily defeated by Alex. Allan went and helped Will by knocking out the guar that held him. In a matter of seconds, the guards were all knocked out.

"Are you alright?" Will asked Djaq.

"Are _you _alright?!" Djaq replied.

"I thought we came to save you." Allan said breathing heavily.

"Now I am saving you." she responded.

Allan chuckled. "You're a women. We're men."

"Excuse me?" Alex said crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Irritating, isn't it? It seems like Alex was valuable too." Djaq said walking over to her female friend. The two shared a laugh and had a brief hug. Allan smiled and chuckled at the two.

John, annoyed at the banter, whistled and nodded his head, indicating they should leave. They gang ran down a narrow corridor and turned right into another.

"Where now? Do you actually have a plan?" Djaq said running towards the front.

"No. Ya know, they failed that part in the planning process." Alex said running up towards the front, leaving Allan bringing back the rear.

"I've never been in this part of the castle. Have you?" Allan said looking at Little John who shook his head in reply, leaning against the corner of the hallway.

"Robin?! Where is he?" Djaq said worried. John ran past her, and Allan, Alex, and Will tried to think of an excuse.

"Well, he's basically…" Allan started. Little John then groaned at the sight of a dead end.

"We will talk about it later." Alex finished looking at the end of the of the hallway.

"He did not come?" Djaq asked confused.

Will ran up so he was besides her. "He, erm, he was... distracted."

"That's your lie!" Alex said to him, apalled at his lack of skill.

"Because I am a girl?" Djaq asked hurt and confused and angry. Alex replied saying that was ridiculous considering she was saved and was called a witch and smiled at her rescued friend.

Little John ignored them and opened a door to a privy room. "Here go!"

They all entered the small, foul smelling room as John shut the door behind them.

"Seen this? Indoor privy?" Allan smiled and lifted a hatch on the floor open. Everyone recoiled at the smell.

"So?! I have a better version back home!" Alex said covering her nose with her sleeve.

"So? It leads outdoors." Allan smiled at his idea. "Well what? Have you got any better ideas?" Everyone grimaced.

"Must be another way." Will said.

Little John replied firmly, "We go!" He pushed Will forward and urged him to go. He wrapped his cloak around him and slid down and emerged outside of the castle.

Allan looked at Alex and bowed to her. "Ladies first."

"Over my dead body." she said going to back and leaned against the door. Allan smiled back and happily slid down. John then slid down, promising to catch the girls at the bottom. He landed safely out, but managed to land face first.

The men all stood in the safety the heap of rubbish and waited for the girls, but they never came. As Djaq was about to slide down, the Sheriff entered. Alex backed up so she stood besides Djaq and shut the lid discreetly.

"Well, if you were so desperate to go, all you had to do was ask." the Sheriff said, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Oh, how nice? Your friend, the witch joined us! How'd you get here? Walk through walls. Flew threw a window?" Alex rolled her eyes and mumbled she was not a witch.

Djaq charged at the soldiers and Alex drew her sword, but they were easily overtaken at a fight of who knows the exact amount to two.

"Take them to the dungeon. If they don't want to play nice, we will play nasty." The Sheriff smiled as they were taken away. He then opened the privy hatch, but the smell overwhelmed him, so he dropped it.

The boys were left waiting in the pile of rubbish. "We need Robin." Will said spitting something out of his mouth once he realized the girls were not coming.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I still do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and its plots. I only own my characters. Soon though. Anyway here is part two. I feel like these haven't been my best chapters as of late and the end of this one is a little too mushy so any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping to have the next chapter up next weekend and it will be less mushy, I promise. Thank you.**

Chapter 7

Guy was tied up to a tree and once again, was unconscious. Much sat idly by and Robin laid against a tree in defeat. Marian had arrived at the request of Much to help Robin. She was shocked at all of this and needed to talk to him. She walked over to where he laid carelessly against a large tree, drinking water out of his flask and glaring at the "traitor" Gisbourne.

"What are you doing? You're a killer now?" she asked him upset.

"When I have to be." he curtly replied.

"Grow up!" she yelled.

"Gisborne made his choice. Everything is a choice. Everything we do. You told me that."

"What choice?" Marian looked down, confused at the outlaw.

Robin stared off for a moment, hoping not to have to re live the horrible events of the Crusade. "In the Holy Land, Saracens came to kill the King. But it wasn't Saracens." Robin paused, setting his flask on the ground. "It was him."

"Rubbish!"

"He stabbed me and left me for dead. And then he went to kill the King in his bed."

"I don't believe you. This is about—"

Robin interrupted her, "What?"

Marian paused and replied quietly. "You and me." Robin leant his head back against the tree, rolling his eyes. "I want you to know I didn't realise he was going to announce the marriage."

"Well, you didn't seem uncomfortable."

The conversation stalled as Marian glared at him and his obvious jealousy. Robin continued on, despite her annoyance. "I have proof... his arm. I wounded him. His tattoo."

"What tattoo?" Marian also added, agitated, "And I was uncomfortable."

'He has a tattoo on his arm." Robin paused and silently added to the side conversation, "You took his ring."

Marian practically screamed at him. "You took his ring! How could he have been in the Holy Land? He was here in your house!" Marian then paused and remembered something. She glanced at Gisbourne and remembered the weeks he spent ill and locked up in his stolen home.

Robin also glanced over and knew that Marian was thinking of something important. "What?"

Marian returned her focus on Robin. She desperately wanted Robin to be wrong, but was he ever wrong? She said reluctantly, "He was unwell for many weeks." Robin scoffed, shaking his head against the tree he rested on. "No-one was allowed to see him."

"That is why I have to kill him."

"No! Even if you are right"

Robin interrupted her. "I am right."

"A trial. The process of law."

"There is no law." Robin finally sat up from his previous reclining position and stared at Marian intently. "Until Richard returns the Sheriff is the law. Gisborne is the law. And that is why I have to kill him."

"No. I forbid you."

Robin returned back to his lazy, uncaring position against the tree and sighed. "You don't believe me."

"I don't know what to believe." Marian tried to contradict Robin with reason, but struggled. "Guy... is not a man who would... Surely…"

Robin replied bitterly. "Of course. He is to be your husband."

Marian retaliated angrily, "You know full well I agreed to that under duress. You know I have to play things this way!" Robin looked down and shook his head as Marian continued. "...from the inside, for my father if for nothing else. I do not have the option to just run off into the forest."

Robin looked at her and shook his head again.

"What?" she asked.

"Everything... is a choice."

Meanwhile, Much sat stabbing the ground, annoyed at Robin and everything he has done. He lied to him. Much was scared of this. Even in the heat of the worst bottles, Robin was honest and good and justified. What could this demon possibly be?

As Much was stabbing the soil of the forest thinking, the reminders of the gang dreaded into the camp. Little John angrily kicked a basket towards the general direction of the camp, and Much, upset on how easily they lost the girls.

Much surmised they were upset at him for letting Robin go and stood up and held out his sword. "Now, look, he's been my master for ten years. What do you expect me to do?" he reasoned. However, he got no accusation or response in return. He noticed the sad, tired faces of Little John, Will, and Allan walking by. "What happened?" The three men just threw off their cloaks and disguises off in resignation. Much then caught wiff of the most disgusting smell. "You stink! Hah!?" he chuckled, then realized the problem, "Where's Djaq?" He looked around once more. "Where's Alex?!"

Little John turned around and faced the smaller man. "It was a trap!" he yelled.

"We came out through the privy." Allan said.

"They was right behind us and they took her back." Will added with stressed and worried face.

"And took Alex too." Allan said, obviously distressed.

Little John approached Much and the tied, unconscious Guy of Gisbourne. "Him?" he asked noticing new cuts and bruises.

"Alive… It has been somewhat touch and go." Much replied, sheathing his sword. Little John frowned at him. "Not since the Holy Land, have I seen…" Much motioned his head towards his master. "It took all my powers to calm him…" He glanced at Marian, "and… and hers." Little John looked surprised at the sight of Marian, but returned to scowling at Much. "But it was I who fetched her, so you could say it was all my doing."

Little John just simply said in response, "We need him." He and the distraught Will and the anxious Allan approached Robin and Marian. "We go to Nottingham." he said to the leader.

Robin, with his arms crossed and still laying in the nook of a tree bitterly replied. "I thought you were going." He glanced up at Marian. "I have unfinished business here."

"Its Alex!" Allan yelled, "and Djaq!"

Robin's interest slightly peaked at the new development of Alex being taken, but he remained impartial. Much joined the group surrounding Robin. "The Sheriff will be expecting a rescue. It is better to wait… to think." he responded.

"Robin, wake up! It's Djaq and Alex!" Will yelled.

Robin sat up, looking angrily at his gang, "You are thinking of just two persons. I am thinking of the King and the whole of England."

"Djaq is not a man. She is a woman." Will responded. Marian look startled at this. She had no idea _two _women were in the company of Robin.

"Alex is already known as a woman and a witch and the Sheriff hates her. Have you even thought about hat could happen to Alex now or Djaq if the Sheriff realizes?" Will argued.

"Djaq is a woman? The Saracen?" Marian said, "A female Saracen and an accused witch. What an odd company you keep in the forest."

Allan replied, "Alex is _not_ a witch."

Little John spoke. "He," pointing at Gisbourne, "can wait. Djaq and Alex cannot."

Robin just replied in a firm no.

"If they know we are coming, then we can all die." Much added.

"True, but it's Alex." Allan responded.

"It's Djaq." Will said at the same time.

Much was getting frustrated. "What does that even mean? 'True, but it's Alex' 'It's Djaq.' That's not even an answer."

Allan started talking, gesturing with his hand out of anxiety, "Look, the thing is…" Both Will and Allan said together, "I think I love her." Then the two best friends looked at each other, unsure who loved who and if they had to fight one another for their dream girl. Much stood agape, Little John was stunned, Marian had no idea how to comprehend this, and even Robin was put off a bit. Absolute, awkward silence filled the forest.

"You are talkin' 'bout Djaq, right?" Allan said, unconsciously holding the hilt of his sword.

"Ya and you like…" Will responded, puffing up his chest to look bigger.

"Alex." The two friends stared at each other, shocked at what they other had admitted and to make sure the other had no affections for their crush. Silence once again engulfed the forest and the gang.

"Well!" Much said, breaking the silence, "Well, even then, that is… no reason to knowingly walk into a trap."

Marian spoke. "Robin is right. You need to think." She looks over at Gisbourne. "Look. That is your solution. Trade him for the girls."

"No!" Robin said. Everyone glared at him. "I am not letting him get away with this." Robin stood up and started walking towards Guy. Little John was surprised and yelled for his leader. As Robin continued walking away, Little John punched him in the jaw once again and once again made his unconscious. Everyone was shocked, most of all Much, who raised his hands and placed them on his head in an exasperated manner. "Not sorry." was all John had to say.

Djaq and Alex sat across from each other in a cell of the Sheriff's dungeon. Neither Djaq or Alex had expected to end up in a cell again so soon after their last encounter with the horrible conditions of the dungeon, especially Djaq.

"I'm sorry about this failed rescue." Alex said breaking the ice.

"I'm sorry too." Djaq replied with a light chuckle.

"Ya know, we'll get out of here. We have great team of friends, even though Robin is acting like a jerk right now." Alex said.

"Why is he so upset?" Djaq inquired.

"Let's just say its about, King, country, and Gisbourne being a traitor and stabbing Robin and almost stabbing the King." Alex said with a smirk.

"That makes no sense." Djaq replied.

"That's exactly the issue." Alex said with her playful smirk and laughed. They again sat in silence. "Ya know, we are getting rescued. I know that the guys won't let anything happen to us."

"I fear we are going to be tortured first." Djaq replied looking at her feet.

"I know the no one will let that happen." Alex offered her the false words and the false hope. Alex also thought of how loyal the gang was, especially Will to Djaq. "I know that Will won't let anything happen to you." This peaked Djaq's interest; Alex was just happy to keep her distracted.

Djaq blushed and then smirked at Alex. "And Allan to you."

Alex turned multiple shades of red. "Allan and I are just good friends. Like you and me. Ya know, he does not like me that way at all."

"But you do, don't you?" Djaq replied cooly.

"I like him as much as you like Will." Alex replied raising her eyebrows.

"So romantically then." Djaq said.

"Possibly. At least you confessed. Ya know, now that I am thinking about it, I think I might just love him. Just promise me we will never ever speak of this again." Alex asked with her pleading blue eyes.

Djaq chuckled. "I promise, but why don't you admit your feelings?"

"We are from two different worlds. As much as I love fighting for justice and everyone here, I have to go home eventually or die trying. I have a family, friends, my education, and hopes and dreams are all there. I couldn't put myself through choosing love or my home. Besides, dating while you are fighting for your lives everyday is foolish."

"I am sure it could work out." Djaq said.

"Well why don't you confess your affections to Will?"

"The same exact reasons. I suppose that is the struggle we must have. At least we have our friendship." Djaq replied with a small smile.

"Ya know, you're one of my best friends."

"I know."

The two were soon silenced with the approaching footsteps of the Sheriff and the jailor. They had been so far left alone in their cell an not questioned, but they both knew it was only going to be a few minutes before the interrogations began.

"Have they talked yet?" the Sheriff asked the jailor, standing outside their cell.

"Just about to start." the jailor replied, snipping shears in his hand. Alex was terrified, but remained her composure and Djaq offered her comfort through a hint of a smile, which Alex returned.

"Well hurry up then." the Sheriff said pointedly.

The jailor opened the cell and was about to grab Djaq. Alex stood up, ready to defend her close friend, but Djaq gave her a look making Alex sit down again.

"Oh eager, are we, Hunter? Don't worry, you'll be joining pretty boy very soon." the Sheriff said with his sadistic grin. Alex glared at him from inside the cell. They were about to take Djaq away when Marian entered the dungeon running and out of breath.

"My lord Sheriff?" she said innocently, as if she had not been conspiring against him a mere hour ago. "I need your help."

The Sheriff left the prisoners in the dungeon and agreed to meet Marian in the Grand Hall. Marian did as the outlaws had planned and showed the Sheriff the tag.

"This, erm, this outlaw. He didn't rob you?" the Sheriff asked inspecting the tag.

"He was only interested in the exchange. Guy for your prisoners. My husabnd-to-be for a _Saracen _and a _witch_." Marian explained.

"You see, something's not right. How do I know this isn't an outlaw ruse?" the Sheriff held the tag to his mouth and thought.

"Guy is your lieutenant, your ally… your friend." Marian reasoned.

"Friend?"

Marian nodded with a worried face.

"We are talking about the same Guy? I mean, I hardly noticed he was missing." The Sheriff chuckled.

"My lord Sheriff, please. They have Guy. If they should do anything to him, I…" Marian then faked trying to hold back her tears.

"Yes, all right." The Sheriff got up and walked over the the other side of the table where Marian stood. "Might just stop your sniveling."

He concluded the meeting with an order to prepare the prisoners for travel and Marian sighed in relief.

Inside the mine that Alex had heard Robin destroyed, she and Djaq were tied up and then lead by a rope around their necks. It was undignified and uncomfortable.

"Robin Hood has gone to a lot of trouble for you, pretty boy." The Sheriff pulled Djaq's rope. "Not one rescue, but two." He looked over at Alex and pulled her rope as well. "Well I believe witchy here may have added necessity to the trade." Alex rolled her eyes in response.

"He did not come the first time." Djaq replied.

"Ah, are you feeling unloved? I bet witchy here doesn't get that. All those cold nights in the forest…"

"Am I being in correct in my presumption that witch is just synonymous with whore here? Or am I just crazy?" Alex replied bitterly.

"Oh I missed that tongue of yours, Hunter. Next time I shall have to cut it out." The Sheriff pulled both of their ropes with a smile, but Djaq was the one that ran into the Sheriff. The Sheriff stopped and thought, looking at the Saracen. He then opened each side of Djaq's vest. "Ah! Ah, pretty boy, not a pretty boy at all! Oh, no wonder they want ou back in the forest, hm? Both of you then. Very cold nights, indeed. Well, obviously" he gave a tug on the ropes, "you won't be going back. You see, Hood, he thinks there are two tunnels that are clear. One in, one out. Clever, but not clever enough."

Little John then appeared with Gisbourne tied up and obviously beaten in front of him. "Where's Hood?" the Sheriff asked. Little John set down his later and looked dead on at the Sheriff.

"Here" Robin said, appearing behind John and out of the darkness of the mine.

Little John turned around and shouted, "Robin, no!"

"I did not agree to this trade John." he said coming fully out of the shadows.

The Sheriff turned to the two girls. "Dissent in the ranks?" He chuckled at his own joke.

"I did not agree to this trade." Robin said once again, but more sternly. "But I should have done. Let him and the girl go."

"It's alright, Hood. Your secret's out, hm? Your pet Saracen" the Sheriff threw Djaq onto the ground besides the outlaw, "is a lady!" The Sheriff then threw Alex on the ground to. "Hm? The great thing is, she gave me this." The Sheriff opened the vial of acid and sniffed it only to recoil form its pungent smell.

"Your secret's out to. There is no way Gasbourne went to the Holy Land without your say-so." Robin replied. Guy then stood up next to the Sheriff and looked at Robin.

"Gisbourne? Holy Land?" The Sheriff said, mocking feigning innocence.

"I have proof. On his arm. His tattoo. People in the King's guard have heard about that tattooed when they return from the Holy Land, he will pay. And you will pay."

The Sheriff kept looking at Gisbourne and his tattoo in anger. "Tattoo?" He then poured the reminder of the acid on Gisbourne's exposed tattoo, making the beaten man scream. "What tattoo?"

"No!" Robin was charging, but John held him back.

Guy was still screaming. "Shut up, you big jessie." the Sheriff yelled at him.

"Let's go." Djaq said to her friends.

"Oh you are not going anywhere. Guards!" Guards began bursting through wood panels of the other tunnel. "Look, an old tunnel. Surprise. Gotcha!"

"Surprise." Robin replied as two ropes dropped down from above. "An old shaft. Surprise. Let's go."

John yelled at his friends to go and they all smiled at having the smug Robin back. As the Sheriff stared at them in anger at their great escape, they all climbed the ropes and reached the field above. As Robin is pulled and Little John is fighting off the guards, he says, "See you another time, Gisbourne."

Much, Will, and Allan pulled the rope to let their friends from above. Djaq was the first one out.

"Djaq." Will said and she nodded with a smile in reply. Allan smiled at her and then focused on another person on his mind.

Alex was the nest one to come out and she stood up and brushed the dirt off herself. "Alex!" Allan yelled. "Rooster!" She ran up to him and gave his arm a friendly squeeze and joined the rope tugging behind him. For the first time that afternoon, Allan relaxed.

Below in the mines, the Sheriff yelled at his incompetent guards. Robin rose above and yelled to get John out of the mine. With everyone at the rope, John made it out just in the nick of time. The Sheriff was left in the mine, gapping at the shaft ad Guy was moaning on the ground. "Stop mewling, Gisbourne! Maybe in the future, you'll think twice before painting your arm like a girl!" The Sheriff stormed away in defeat, dragging Guy by his un-tattooed arm.

Everyone was back safely at the outlaw's camp. Little John, Much, Will, and Allan all sat around the fire eating and Alex was laying down away from the men with Djaq sitting next to her and they talked in whispers. Robin, however, sat far away from everyone, ashamed of his actions of the day. Djaq nudged Alex and got up and walked over to Robin and Alex followed her with her arms crossed.

"Is it true? There would have been peace without this… Gisbourne." Djaq asked the dejected Robin.

Robin nodded slightly with his head down.

"And yet you gave him up for us?" Djaq asked. Robin only responded by looking at Djaq then hanging his head again.

Alex bit her lip and ruffled her hair thinking of what to say. "Robin" Robin continued looking down. "Robin, look at me."

The disgraced outlaw looked up at her as she softened her face. "Robin, I know I have often criticized your blind loyalty and duty to Richard, especially in the events today, but it still is an admirable quality. I can understand how this could have felt for you today, to know that the people we are already fighting are more despicable than we once thought. But we all need to be loyal to each other. Today could have ended in disaster, but we all managed to scrape out of it at the last second, especially you. You just can't be loyal to Richard anymore, you have to be loyal to all of us or how else can we function as a team." Alex sighed at the weight of what she said. To add some comic relief, she added, "If I am going to be tortured, it is not going to be because of Guyliner. You owe me a huge favor." Alex smirked and Robin only nodded weakly in response, causing Alex's joking face to resume to a worried look again.

Little John looked over and approached the three. Much and Will came over as well, each with two plates, with Allan following them. Little John sat besides Robin, but still did not look at him. He had no idea what to say. Will handed a plate to Djaq and Alex stole food from Allan's plate with a smile as Much sat down below his master an offered him a plate.

"Brought you some food." the servant said. Robin slowly took the plate as the rest of the gang sat. Will and Djaq sat on the other side of Robin. Allan and Alex sat together between Much and Will. Robin glanced down at Much, who nodded back. Robin tore off a piece of his food and John tapped his leg. "Hey" he said as Robin looked at him. Robin offered him some food and all was forgiven.

Soon the food was all finished and it was dark and the outlaws were preparing for sleep. Alex, like most evenings, was leaning against a tree and writing in her journal. She had a lot to write about today, especially what she admitted in the dungeon to Djaq. She stood by her reason for not acting on her feelings, though she hated the reasons. Everything had to be so complicated for her. Going back in time and becoming a outlaw with Robin Hood just wasn't enough, she had to have a crush according to the universe.

She soon finished writing down her frantic thought and joined the remanding outlaws by the fire, who included Little John, Much, and Allan.

"So crappy day, huh?" Alex said with a smirk at her pun as she sat down next to Allan and across from Much. She only received a small glare from Little John and a unimpressed look from Allan. Alex continued on smiling though, "Anyway, did I miss anything dramatic while I was away? Secrets being revealed? Confessions?" she said, completely unknown of what was said earlier by Will and Allan regarding the argument of rescuing her and Djaq.

Much looked at Little John nervously and Allan absolutely witless. Little John remained composed, but you could faintly observe amusement on his face. Allan glared daggers at Much. 'If he says anything to Alex, I swear…' he thought.

Alex looked at Much and Allan puzzled at their expressions. "Ya know, I think that something did happen. Spill."

"I'm not bein' funny, but nothin' happened." Allan replied with a cheery smile.

"Allan, I know you to well. Ya know you cannot lie to me." Alex said and looked at Much, raising her eyebrows at him, indicating she wanted him to respond to her initial question.

"Well, um…" Much struggled to find words. He did not want to upset Alex, but he did not want to have Allan angry with him. He could feel Allan's glare even though he wasn't looking and Allan was smiling. "Well, Will apparently likes Djaq and um, ya."

Alex knitted her brows and stared at the nervous servant. Much feared he would be forced to say what Allan had said. he frankly didn't even believe Allan said it. Allan in love? It was a ridiculous notion. In the time Much had known Allan, he never seemed like the loyal, sentimental type. But Alex had changed everyone's perspective on the world, and not just because she was from where she was from. She was independent, stubborn, and incredibly smart and loyal, in addition to her great beauty. 'Maybe Allan does really love her.' Much quickly thought.

Alex soon interrupted Much's stream of thought. "You guys didn't know that Will liked Djaq?!" Alex stared at the men in shock, not noticing their simultaneous sigh of relief. "Men! You don't notice a thing and never hide anything well. When a man likes a girl, they always stare at the girl of their affections when they aren't looking, _completely _oblivious to anyone else who is looking at them. I guess its romantic and what not, but if you just looked at Will when Djaq's back was turned, you would have noticed. Everyone should have noticed, except Djaq. That's the thing with men and their crushes, everyone knows about who they love except the one they love." Alex smiled and earned nervous chuckling from her companions. Much couldn't help but think how ironic this entire conversation was.

"Well any confessions from you and Djaq while you were captured?" Much asked not expecting nay serous response.

"Oh well, I can't repeat anything." Alex said with a slight blush, that went unnoticed due to the darkening sky.

"Look who is lyin' now!" Allan responded.

"I am bound by my word, Allan! But speaking hypothetically, someone in the cell may have admitted feelings to a certain axe wielding outlaw." Alex said. Little John chuckled and Much reported to her what had happened throughout the day while she was gone.

The remains of the sun light had totally vanished and John and Much had gone to sleep. Alex got up and put out the fire and walked back to her sleeping area with Allan following her. Alex laid down on her blanket and looked up at the sky and Allan laid next to her, however he did not look up at the stars, but looked at her.

Before today, he didn't think he had any feelings toward Alex. It was an instinctive thing to say when everyone debated to leave her behind in a cell. He could not bear being apart from her when she was at risk of being hurt or worse. Looking at her now, as she smiled up at the sky and her hair splayed out around her like a halo, she truly was an angel. Her pink lips, delicate nose, perfect skin, think eyelashes, and her dirty blonder hair tied back in a loose braid, but her fringe and bangs were still down and perfectly shaped her face. She was beautiful and this was the first time Allan had fully seen it. 'She is so perfect, and smart, and annoying stubborn, and hilarious. How could she ever be mine?' Allan thought looking at the girl. "Did you confess anything in the cell?" Allan asked to make idle conversation. But because of his distraction on Alex, he never noticed the three shades of red she turned when he asked this.

"Me? Confess? I have nothing to confess to. Though I did admit I once stole some jewelry from a store once. I just offered her, hypothetically, words of wisdom and sang a song to keep everything cheery." Alex said this still blushing and still masked by the darkness of the night in the forest.

"I'm not bein' funny. You got an amazin' voice. What song were you singin'?" Allan asked still looking at her.

"Take my Advice." Alex yawned. "It's a song about confessing love and stuff." She yawned again, obscuring the chuckle at the irony, and finally closed her tired eyes. "And since when did you know about me non-existant singing voice. You are always as- oh. I see you liar."

"I think we should start calling ya Songbird then. And you should know to never trust me." Allan smirked. Alex laughed faintly in reply.

"Alex, today, when you were taken, I wos worried sick and I realized that I-" Allan paused to say the three words and looked over at Alex again, but she was fast asleep and not aware of what he was saying. "I think I love you, but I suppose its better this way if ya never know." Allan looked up at the stars and then soon drifted off to sleep too, stealing once last look at his songbird.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Okay so I don't think my offer to own BBC Robin Hood is gonna go through anytime soon. I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and its plots. I only own my characters. I hope you like this chapter. There may or may not be an update next weekend. I haven't decided, but I have planned out everything for the rest of season 1 and some of season 2. I would just invest in some tissues. This is a shorter chapter, but some stuff is revealed about our modern protagonist that you wouldn't expect. Thanks to knarl once again for reviews and advice. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8 (A Thing or Two About Loyalty)

It was another day in the Sherwood forest for the gang and they were off walking around looking for their next victim, but not without bickering within them.

"I just don't understand how one can have the patience to do that Will!" Alex yelled at the taller man walking beside her.

"You just have to be in the right mind set, that's all." Alex had been bonding more with the other members lately. She still talked, chatted, and continued their private lessons of fighting and reading, but it was awkward for the both of them and they didn't even realize it. It was two weeks earlier when they both realized their feelings for one another and confessed it to their closest friend, besides one another, and they both had no idea of the reciprocated feeling and were lost on what to do next. Alex did not know the standards for dating and she imagined a Jane Austen type scenario was in place here, where he would have to confess her love to her father or eldest brother or just the general man in charge of her, but Alex came to this world completely alone and if a man was in charge of her, there was no way it was going to continue.

Allan just had no experience with courting and love at all. His parents were what Alex would call a "shotgun wedding" and neither were happy, and Allan only had really talked to serving girls, tavern girls, and Djaq before Alex. All he had to do was flash a charming smile, buy them a drink, and get a room and then he would be gone the next morning (of course he did none of that with Djaq, but he did smile). Alex was immune to his charms and was not the one night stand type of girl, but that was alright because Allan knew this was going to be a long term thing. It, after all, was the first time he had ever felt this romantic love and the feeling of it was not ever going to go away. Every time he saw her smile or he heard one of her many laughs, he got a strange feeling in his stomach. And when they were close to one another, enough to kiss, he felt like he was going to explode with happiness.

But he could not act on his feelings. He had no idea what to do and if she hared this feeling. It was not like he could offer her lavish gifts and expensive dinners; all Allan A Dale had was his smile and whatever was one his back and he was sure that couldn't win someone like Alex over. So the two were stuck.

"Well then explain it to me one more time." Alex grabbed Will and they slowed their pace so they were behind all of the gang.

"I don't know how to. You just sit there and widle and-" Will was cut off by Alex.

"Why don't you ask her out?!" Alex said bluntly.

"I don't understand…" Will said eyeing the girl with a look of consternation.

"Djaq!" Will continued the look of confusion. "Much told me _everything _from when we were kidnaped and that includes about the confession of love."

Will was shocked. 'If Alex knows about Allan, why aren't the two already married? Its obvious they both love each other and are meant to be. You couldn't find two more annoying people…' "So then what about you?" he asked warily.

"What about me? I am to be your matchmaker. Much said you told everyone that you liked Djaq, and something was said in the dungeon by her about you. So its my job to-" Alex was cut off with a large boom.

Will and Alex looked at each other and ran to the side of a clearing, away from the gang.

Within the clearing was a large black hole and the Sheriff was dancing in glee inside of it. There were many guards present, as well as Gisbourne and Marian, and a man the gang hd not seen before.

"Well done, Gisbourne!" the Sheriff said to the leather man smirking at his success. "Get me ten or twenty large, huge crates. Ha ha!" The Sheriff continued his little dance clapping.

The stranger replied to the Sheriff, holding his hands on his large belt. "If I'm to create more black powder then there are conditions."

"Really?" the Sheriff responded with a disturbing smile.

"One, I'm allowed to sell my discovery to other mining concerns."

"Naturally." the Sheriff smiled.

"Two, I get a bonus for me work."

"Of course." the Sheriff continued smiling.

"And finally," the man paused as he noticed Gisbourne staring at him, "the powder must never be used as a weapon."

The Sheriff climbed out of the crater with a exaggerated, fake, agreeing look. "I think you and I have a future. Trust me."

The man looked down thinking. He then muttered a no.

"Lambert." Guy said shocked.

"I think not." said the man, or Lambert.

"Think about what you are doing." Gisbourne warned.

"I cannot trust you."

The Sheriff approached the alchemist and his guards began to draw their weapons. "My dear boy…"

"Let me go or there will be trouble." Lambert began backing away, holding tighter to his bulky belt.

"I adore trouble." the Sheriff said in his unique, sadistic way.

Lambert continued backing away. He grabbed two tubes attached to his belt and threw them at the Sheriff and his guards. They caused a small explosion, but with a big punch. The Sheriff yelled as Lambert ran for the guards to catch him alive.

Lambert ran into the forest, trying to escape, and ran into Alex and Will. Alex was shocked at all of this. These people could not have this power if her people shouldn't really have this power. Will and Alex caught the fleeing alchemist.

"Woah!" said Alex, slightly caught off guard by the man.

"Woah! Woah! Don't go!" Will added as he tried to get away.

"Stop! We can help you! I know what this stuff can do!" Alex told him.

Lambert finally got free from them, assuming that they worked for the Sheriff and they couldn't be trusted. "Back off! No!" He threw one last bomb at the two, knocking them completely to the ground. Lambert turned around and ran straight into the Sheriff's guards.

Will and Alex quickly got back onto their feet and rejoined the group, who were watching from further away.

"Are you alright?!" Allan asked as Alex approached, grimacing from the lasting pain of the explosion. Alex gave a quick nod in reply and focused back on Lambert and Gisbourne. Allan could only focus on her and her pale, shocked face.

"You promised me you would not use it was a weapon. Please." Lambert yelled as he was being searched and held by the Sheriff's guards.

"Where is the ledger… with the formula?" Gisbourne asked. Lambert remained silent. "hat information belongs to both of us. commissioned you."

"And that is where your input ends." Lambert said in retaliation. "Black powder is not toy Guy. It is lethal and I will not let you abuse its power."

"Where is it?"

"Somewhere you'll never find it."

The Sheriff rode up on his horse next to Gisbourne. "Your friends seems to enjoy the power he has over us. Very clever. Congratulations, you just made yourself the most important man in Nottingham, Lambert. So when we hurt you, we'll do it very carefully." Lambert was then dragged away by the guards at the Sheriff's order and to his torture chamber.

"He's done for." Allan commented.

"We're done for if the Sheriff gets the ledger." Robin said.

"England and the rest of the world will be done for." Alex added, her skin white with shock.

The gang began walking back to their camp, trying to figure what had just happened and what to do next.

"Few of those, you could take out a whole town, couldn't ya? 'Hello, villagers. What? You couldn't pay your taxes?' Boom! You're out." Allan joked, over emphasizing the explosion and looking at Alex for her usual laugh and smile that made him swoon, but instead she stared at the ground, ruffling her hair and biting her lip indicating she was thinking about something.

"It's not funny. It punched us to the ground." Will said to his friend.

"What was it?" Little John asked no one in particular.

"Greek fire." Robin said. "When were in the Holy Land, we heard tales of boats being destroyed, sunken without a trace."

"Typical," Djaq said with her prominent accent. "Our alchemists have been experimenting with it or years and it's called Greek Fire? Never Saracen. Greek!" She turned to Alex, who always agreed with her points, being the only person in the gang that could really see things form her perspective since she too, in a way, was an outsider. However, Alex kept walking with a purpose, thinking with her upset, frightened face.

"It's amazing." Allan said with his smirk.

"No its now." Alex finally said in a faint voice as she stopped walking. Then entire gang stopped and turned to look at her. "It is a evil, horrible weapon. This black powder, Greek fire, or whatever, is a rudimentary form of gunpowder." Everyone looked at her puzzled. She cursed herself for forgetting they had never heard of a gun before. "Imagine a hand held device that essentially shoots an arrow head a thousand times faster and requires no skill. That powder enables that weaponry! It leads to bombs and explosives and can decimate anything in its path! I live in world with a constant threat of nuclear war, which means in a matter of hours, the world could be destroyed of all life for the rest of time. We cannot let anyone get hold of this." Alex had a deadly serious stare that had only been seen by the gang a few times for a matter of seconds. This was a level of Alex unknown to everyone, especially Allan. Alex saw the shocked eyes on her and started walking again. ahead of the group so they were forced to follow her.

"Right." Robin said, still offset at Alex's words, "The plan is…" He stopped for a moment thinking. "somebody needs to get arrested and taken to the dungeons."

"I'm not bein' funny or anything, but isn't getting arrested what we normally tryin' to avoid." Allan said with a chuckle that everyone had. He looked to Alex, who was now walking beside him with her arms crossed in contemplation, to see if she had any amusement from his catch phrase like she always did. She continued her serious, scared face.

"Well, that's the quickest way in. Why, are you volunteering?" Robin said.

"No." Allan replied. He did think for a moment if volunteering to get arrested would seem noble to Alex because she was so clearly moved by this _dynamite. _But Allan and his selfish ways decided the best way was to stay with her and offer her a more immediate form of comfort. If there was another moment to be heroic and not risk torture or his life, he would take it for her.

Much stopped walking and raised his hand to volunteer. The gang looked at his and paused at the thought of him volunteering. "What?" he asked. The gang laughed and chuckled at him, with the exception of Alex and continued walking. "What? Oi!" Much ran and chased his friends down, "I am being serious!"

Much did get his wish though, and he set out for Nottingham market to get arrested. His first idea to achieve his odd goal was to yell slander at Prince John. When that didn't work, he resorted to attacking a guard. After the cheers of the townspeople, he happily was taken away to the dungeon after a punch or two.

Much found Lambert in the cell next to him luckily. The man, tied up in shackles, was curled into a ball of self loathing and sadness. Much approached him in his Much way, hectic and unaware of other's emotions.

"Hello." he said trying got get Lambert's attention. "Pst." he said again, earning a glare form the alchemist. "I am a friend of Robin Hood's. And this," he said, holding up a lock pick, "is a rescue."

Much was smiling at his so far success and Lambert thought of the rescue sceptically. The dungeon doors then squeaked open as Much was focused on freeing himself from his shackles. Much mumbled the man of the leather clad man and in the process, dropped his lock pick. This was only expected of Much, being the clumsy, lovable fool of the gang.

Much sat back at Gasbourne approached him. "Take this runt," the military man said, pointing at the panicked servant, "to the Great Hall." The guards quickly opened the cell and dragged the confused and scared Much away.

Alone with his friend, Gasbourne made one last attempt to ease the alchemist's pain. "Lambert, help me to help you. I cannot hold the Sheriff off much longer." He only received a stare in response. Gisbourne quickly left to join Vaisey.

Meanwhile, Much was having the most confusing day of his life. Much was thrown into the Great Hall and the Sheriff soon appeared from the balcony.

"Lambert should be at the screaming stage now," the Sheriff said, coming down form his high and mighty position, "but all I hear is nothing."

"I'm determined to reason with him, my lord." Gisbourne replied.

"Ah really?" the Sheriff walked to over where Much was forced to stand for the Sheriff. The only act of dignity he could use was to not make eye contact. "Reason? You going soft, Gisbourne? Hm? Because he's you friend, is it that? Well, leave him with me. I'll reason with him."

"I can handle him." Gisbourne argued.

"No-no, you failed me. You're off the project." the Sheriff said with his uncaring, curious face. Gisbourne shook his head in anger. "Now, what" he said pointing the Much, "is this creature doing here?"

"This is one of Robin Hood's inner circle. This is his right-hand man." Gisbourne said proudly.

"Oh, bravo!" the Sheriff said with heavy sarcasm, stepping towards _his_ right-hand man.

"He can tell us all we need to know about the outlaws." Gisbourne continued.

"Like what, hm? That Robin Hood is against us? That he keeps moving his camp on, hm?There's nothing to know!"

"All right. So hang him then. Make an example." Guy reasoned. Much stared straight on, showing no emotion.

"Brilliant!" the Sheriff then turned to look at Much again. "No. Hang him," he walked towards the outlaw, "and you have an instant martyr. Suddenly, everybody loves Robin Hood."

"So what do you suggest we do with him then?"

"'ll make a real example of this man." The Sheriff chuckled at his forming plan and Much stared at him with wide eyes in fear.

Meanwhile the rest of the outlaws were walking towards the two, with their hoods up disguising them.

"Anyone fancy a wager?" Allan asked no one in particular till he looked at Alex. Usually Alex would be up for a bet of any sort (the week previous she had won a bet that forced Allan to preform a dance for her to no music), but she just looked sadly at nothing and ignored him. "Yeah? Who thinks he will get out on his own?"

"Trust me, Allan. Much can do it." Robin said, glancing back at his friend.

"Are we talking about the same Much?" Allan joked.

Unknown to them, Much was doing quite well, in a way. He was seated at the end of a long table, across from the Sheriff and with Guy looking confused at the Sheriff's plan.

"I will not poison myself. You will have to kill me first." Much said with dignity.

"Poison yourself?" The Sheriff stood and walked down to much's end of the table. He picked up his goblet. "This," he said, holding the goblet to the outlaw's nose, "is Burgundy wine. And this," He picked up a piece of meat and also held it to the outlaw's face, "is the very best venison, hm?" The Sheriff ate the meat in his hand and took a drink. "Mm. A feast. though, granted, it might taste like poison to a peasant's palette." The Sheriff held the goblet to his lips, looked at Much, raised his eyebrows, and downed the entire glass. Much, hesitantly, took a bite of a plum. "Hm… that reminds me. Gisbourne, your sword?"

Much stopped eating and looked at Guy with his remarkably wide eyes. "We're going to take hearts and minds to a new level." Gisbourne began to draw his sword, and in response, Much tried to run away by pushing past the Sheriff. The Sheriff calmly order the guards to stop him and force him onto his knees. The Sheriff calmly walked over to the petrified outlaw, inspecting the sword. much tried to get free, but was shoved by Guy onto his knees once again. The Sheriff approached much, the point facing the outlaw. Much squeezed his eyes shut and expected the worst, which did not come.

"By the powers vested in me… blah-di-blah-di-blah, I dub you," he said tapping Much's shoulders, "Earl of Bonchurch, hm?" Much had no idea what was going on. The Sheriff held the point of the sword under Much's chin, forcing him to look up. "hat's what you were promised, wasn't it, when you came back home? Hm?" Everyone looked at the Sheriff shocked. He ordered Much to stand. "Lord Much! Well," he said, swinging the sword, "do you feel honored?"

Much said with astonishment, "Have you really just made me an earl?"

"Well, not quite. No. I will have a word with Prince John and he will make it official. So, you will have the privileges and luxuries of a lord. You will take your seat in the lodge of Bonchurch. Oh and ere, I expect you at the Council of Nobles tomorrow." The Sheriff sat in Much's seat and ate the rest of his plum while Gisbourne shook his head, glaring at Much, who now owned a piece of his estate.

Of course there was an ulterior motive. There always were. After Vaisey explained everything to Gisbourne, about Much and about the Black Powder, he ran out into the courtyard, furious. He even kicked a poor innocent bench over. Marian saw and ran over to him.

"Guy!" she yelled. Gisbourne only turned away from Marian. "You are upset."

"I'm fine. I cannot discuss it." he replied, still clearly angry. He began to lean on a low branch of a nearby tree.

"I had not imagined the man who wishes to marry me would shut me out of his thoughts."

"Forgive me, Marian. I'm not myself."

"Has the Sheriff angered you?" she asked concerned.

"No, the Sheriff undermines me whenever possible. That's not unusual."

"Is this about Lambert and finding the ledger? This black powder is costing you a dear friend."

"I am angry, Marian, because the Greek fire was my project and the Sheriff took it away from me."

Marian thought about her finances situation. She, not matter how horrible he was, felt a pang of sympathy for him. She thought on how to solve the problem and quickly champ with a plan. "Suppose we were to take matters into our own hands." Gisborne looked back at her. "Surely the Sheriff would not mind how you went about it. He strikes me as an end-game man. If you could find the ledger…"

"What would you suggest?"

Marian looked around the courtyard for prying ears and whispered to Guy, "Show Lambert you are still his friend. Take him to a place of safety. You always say people respond to loyalty."

"No. Lambert would never trust me now." Gisbourne said to Marian. Unknown to the unhappy couple, the Sheriff was looking at them speak in their hushed tones from a balcony that overlooked the courtyard and knew something was brewing between them that would not benefit him. If it wasn't for her father's reputation and her nobility, he would have gotten rid of her long ago.

"I think he would if you proved beyond all doubt that you could protect him."

"How?"

"Take him to Kirklees. Perhaps tomorrow. There is a Council of Nobles so the Sheriff will be busy. Regain Lambert's trust." Marian gingerly placed her hand on Gisborne's shoulder and he turned to look down at it. "You and he are old friends." she continued. "Build on that friendship."

"Very well." Guy said, settling on a plan of action to help his friend. The Sheriff looked down below at the scheming couple and said to himself while shaking his head in disapproval, "Lepers, Gisbourne. Lepers."

The gang, minus Much in prison and Will waiting for him, waited for him and Lambert to arrive under a bridge not far away from the town's gate.

"He should be here now." Robin said turning to John, with a concerned face, "John, head towards the were entrance and join Will." He turned to Djaq, "Djaq, go gather some horses by the east gate and go and get-" Robin was cut off by a strange sight. All of the outlaws turn their heads to look at the unbelievable sight: a carriage passing over the bridge with Much in it, seemingly unharmed. He saw his friends and tired at them, equally shocked and confused.

"All bets are off." Allan said. Robin tried to get Much's attention, but the servant only continued his look of confusion.

"Robin, what's going on?' Alex asked with her furrowed brows.

"Right. Let's follow." Robin replied.

The gang followed their new nobel friend until they reached the Bonchurch lodge. The outlaws remained hidden in the trees and observed what was happening from a distance.

"Why isn't Much running away?" Will asks.

"Maybe he cannot." Djaq replied.

"Whatever Sheriff has planned, it will include us. But Much is safe as long as we are unseen." Robin reasoned.

"Ya know, Lambert could have given in already." Alex said with her concerned face that had remained since she saw the explosion.

"I know," Robin said looking at her and Allan besides her, placing a hand on her shoulder that she had not realized it was there. She was too focused on the issue at hand. "I need to get into the castle."

"Well I've a lovely idea." Allan said.

The carriage containing the confused Much arrived at the lodge. Two young men opened the door for him and helped him out. Much was dressed in fine, new clothes. He stood in awe at what was now his house. A young, blonde woman kneeled before him. "My lord," she said standing up, "Welcome. The wealth and bounties of Bonchurch are yours." Much only gave and in reply and entered into his new lodge.

Robin meanwhile was working on another angle. Robin pushed himself out of a barrel with pork and cloth hiding him. He spat out the dust form the barrel and looked around. "Meat dip, nice one Allan." Robin said heading towards the dungeon.

Robin hid behind a pillar, waiting for the jailor to pass. As the jailor did, Robin hit him in the back. The jailor dropped his keys turning around and managed to defend himself and punch Robin. Robin ducked the next hit and then punched and pushed the jailor into a pillar, rendering him unconscious. As he bent down to pick up the keys, a guard that he had not seen approached him with sword drawn. Robin turned around just as the guard was about to strike and held him hands up in a useless form of defense, but the guard fell to the ground and behind him was Alex holding the hilt of her sword.

"Alex? What are you doing here?!" Robin said shocked at her presence.

"Your welcome." she said sheathing her sword. Robin took her in. She was wearing a lower cut top and corset, which she only had for disguises and she absolutely hated it and almost burned it.

"I told you and everyone else to wait for me in the forest." he said.

Alex brushed her hair out of her face, revealing a deadly serious expression. "I am the only one who can understand the level of destruction. You need me to talk to Lambert."

Robin nodded and crossed his arms. These were the moments he admired and hated her spirit. "How did you even get away? I know that Little John or Allan would not have let you come here."

"It's a long story." she replied looking around for the alchemist.

When the outlaws were walking in the forest, Allan pulled her aside.

"I'm not bein' funny, but you look really stressed." he said to her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"It's because I am! This powder has killed countless people and we cannot let this be in the wrong hands!" Alex yelled.

"No one here is disagreein' with you."

"I know but they don't understand. Growing up you always see movies and clips of wars with this stuff and its gruesome and horrible. It will lead to the destruction of the world. I have seen what this stuff can do! More than anyone else. I have lost people because of this advanced weaponry." Alex looked at the ground and held her hands on her head. Allan knew her so we'll that he knew she was very upset, but he shouldn't pry. It pained him to see her so distressed and to know he couldn't do anything.

"Alex," Allan reached out to her, but she stepped back.

"Ya know, I have to go talk to his guy."

"And how are you gonna get in?" Allan said, crossing him arms.

Alex smirked and raised her eyebrows at him. "Please Rooster."

Allan sighed and let his arms fall to his side. He did not want her in danger, but he was glad to see her usual, scheming, happy self back. "Alex, John would never let you go."

"Great thing that I am a grown woman and he isn't in charge of me." she smiled and slowly her real self was coming back.

"I have a plan, but you won't like it. And you have to promise to be safe, Songbird." he said.

"Allan, you are the best." Alex hugged him and they both took each other in before parting. "So what's this plan?"

The plan was a simple one. The two ran off away from the gang with no explanation and began their plan. Alex, in her hated disguise as a serving girl with a small top, would sneak her way in using her flattery and charm. She did not like it at all and once she had gotten inside, she had disposed of her skirt that were over her trouser and tighten the ridiculous corset so she actually got some support. Allan's part was just watching her get in and he left to join the rest of the gang and explained where they went. No one was going to be happy with him.

"Well come on then." Robin said, approaching the cells. Alex followed and they quickly found Lambert's cell. The alchemist was slumping against the wall, barely conscious and clearly badly hurt. Robin unlocked the cell and approached him with Alex behind.

"Do you remember me? Ya know, we are getting you out." Alex said to the broken man.

"No you're not. They've broken both of my legs." the man said, wincing in pain.

"A detail." Robin said. He sat the man up, but Lambert whimpered at the excruciating pain of the simple action. Robin covered his mouth with his hand. Alex was busy inspecting the man and taking into account all of his injuries.

"Alright. Sh-sh-sh. We can get you out. I can make a type of spilt and we'll carry you." Alex said.

"You can't." Lambert responded.

"I'm not giving you a choice. You are the only one that knows how to make Greek fire." Robin said.

"And that is the joke." Lambert said, faintly chuckling. "There have been many variations in ingredients, amount. I can't remember everything so I record it all in my ledger."

"Where is it?" Robin asked.

Lambert chuckled again. "And why should I tell you two? You're outlaws."

"It would be catastrophic in the Sheriff's hands. Now, how much did you make for him?"Alex said.

"There are three barrels of the mixture and the Sheriffs confiscated them." Lambert replied.

"In the castle?" Robin asked quickly after hearing a noise in the dungeon.

"I don't know." Lambert grimaced and shook his head.

"The Sheriff will torture you again." Alex stated.

"Yes." Lambert replied.

"And you'll break. Everybody breaks, and then the Sheriff will have the ledger and the Greek fire. Now, we can hide it for you in another place, and you can honestly tell the Sheriff you do not know where it is, and we will gather the rest of our men and rescue you." Robin said.

"And what's to stop you from using Greek fire for your own ends?" Lambert asked.

"Nothing. Other that I am Robin Hood and I offer you my word."

"And I am Alex Hunter and I have seen what this can do used as a weapon and I will not let anyone use it that way."

Lambert stared at them both and saw the sincerity in Robin's eye and the seriousness and pain in Alex's and he agreed.

The two made their escape going down the privy once again. Robin landed with a thud in the pile of God knows what. A;ex slid down next and Robin caught her at her insistence.

"Oi!" a guard yelled at them. The guard charged at the two and Robin ducked him and Alex easily kicked him into the wall. Robin joined her and pinned the guard against it more forcefully as Alex backed off and looked for more guards.

"When you wake up, you will tell the Sheriff Lambert no longer knows where the ledger is. Robin Hood knows." Robin said.

"But I'm not asleep." the guard said. Robin replied with a hard punch to the head. "Now you are." Alex said. Both her and Robin then ran to their friends.

The gang entered a non descript room filled with barrels that night. Robin and Little John entered first, followed by Will and Djaq, then Allan and Alex. Allan stood on guard for them as Little John ad the rest began tapping away at barrels.

"The ledger is in the fourth water butt." Robin said.

John tapped a barrel. "That's this one." He lifted the lid revealing water inside. Robin reached in the barrel with both arms.

"Guards!" Allan yelled. Robin tore his arms out of the barrel and the gang hid. A guard passed by carrying a torch and peered in the room, but did not notice the infamous outlaws. The gang stood up after the guard left and Little John watched the light fade away. Robin reached in the barrel again and pulled out the soaking ledger.

"I'm not bein' funny. It's soakin' wet! It'll be ruined." Allan whispered.

"Let me see." Alex said grabbing the ledger out of Robin's hand before he could hand it to her. Alex carefully unwrapped the ledger and opened it with Djaq examining it with her. "No. It's still good. I knew it. We know Greek fire!" Djaq said with a smile

"Great. We can still create this monstrosity. Let's just do everyone a favor and destroy it." Alex said with her signature sarcasm.

It was Robin's turn to steal the ledger. "We are keeping Lambert's ledger safe."

"Guards are coming back." Allan said, "Come on!"The gang all raised their hoods and left.

The outlaws were in the forest waiting by the North Road waiting for Gisbourne and Lambert to ambush them. Will was watching the road with his bow in his hand and whistled when he saw Marian approaching on horseback. Robin and the rest of the outlaws, except the now Lord Much, ran towards her. Marian dismounted her horse with a sad face.

"He's dead. I'm so sorry." Marian said to Robin. Robin remained still for a moment until he saw that Marian was on the verge of tears. He pulled her into his chest and hugged her and she sobbed into him. The gang disappeared into the forest, wanting to give them privacy.

Robin remembered how hopefully she was the night before about Gisbourne. She was also so passionate about the destruction of the ledger like Alex. For two people that were so similar, it was shocking that they couldn't get along.

Back at the camp Djaq was devouring the ledger until Alex ripped it out of her hand.

"I'm destroying this!" Alex yelled.

"Alex, no! Stop!" Djaq said desperately. Alex was about to throw it into the fire when Little John grabbed her hand and took it from her.

"Steady!" he warned.

"This has to be destroyed. It is a monstrosity!" Alex yelled at him as he returned the ledger.

"This is no science. This is murder." Will agreed. Alex motioned her hands towards him and raised her eyebrows to show Djaq that even he disagreed with her.

"Think of this as progress." Djaq countered.

"I have seen progress. I have seen progress from this black powder and it is devastating and a crime against the whole of humanity. You know this is not the type of progress you love, Djaq." Alex glaring at her friend.

"Other scientists could d much better things with Greek fire." Djaq replied. Alex trend away and stood angrily next to Allan. Robin and Marian entered the camp holding hands unnoticed.

"Yeah, you could blow up the entire castle with that stuff!" Allan stated.

"Lambert's dead." Robin grimly said. Everyone turned to him.

"What?" Little John said quietly.

"He died believing that I'd protect his work." Robin continued.

"Then let me study this ledger, create black powder With this, we could be unstoppable." Djaq said with an excited smile.

"This is not about one's man wish. Robin!" Will said.

"This is about the fate of the world and countless lives." Alex added.

Robin held out his hand for Djaq to give back the ledger. Djaq hesitated for a moment, clutching the ledger of all these secrets to herself for a moment, but gave in. " first we need to destroy the Sheriff's powder. That is a weapon he must not wield. It's time to call on our noble on the inside."

It was the next day and the trap was set. Robin, Will, Djaq, Allan, and Alex waited and watched the cave the Sheriff's men had led them too. Gisbourne and his men had entered it and now only their horses remained outside.

"It's a cave." Allan said.

"Oh I thought it was a tropical beach in the Caribbean." Alex replied, smirking at Allan. He smiled back happy to see her acting like her normal self and not so depressed and stressed.

"What's the Carribbean?" Will asked.

"Nevermind. Let's focus on what's going on. It's cave." Alex replied.

"And thanks to our friend, the Earl of Bonchurch, Gisbourne led us straight to it." Robin said.

"So what do we do now?" Djaq asked.

"We wait." Robin replied. little John joined the gang carrying a long bow, his staff, and a quiver of arrows.

Inside the cave, Gasbourne was searching through the barrels of powder to no avail.

"There's nothing here." he stormed out of the cave, hitting one of his men and yelled at him in the process.

Robin watched the man carefully. He emerged out of the cave with two men following him. "Go, go." Robin urged his enemy. Guy and his men mounted their horses and started riding back to Nottingham.

"Right. Let's get to it. Come on." Robin urged his friends. The gang cam out of their hiding place and headed to the entrance. They entered the cave and took in the mass amounts of power. Robin scoped up a large amount of the back powder and let it slid between his fingers and back into the barrel. Alex was standing behind another barrel, looking at its deathly contents.

"Just this can destroy men and mountains." Robin looked back at Little John. "It is inconceivable."

The Sherif was furious at being lied to and outsmarted. Him and his men were heading towards the cave as fast as they could. The gang were back in their hiding place and waited for them to arrive. "Showtime." Robin told everyone.

Robin leaped over a rock with his bow in his hand and the rest did as well in their designated places. Vaisey and Gisbourne stopped in front of the cave inspecting it. Two guards and Gisbourne dismounted and started o head towards the opening. The Sheriff turned his horse around and began to walk away, but Robin appeared at the top of the hill with bow in hand and yelled the name of the leather clad man.

Guy and his guards turned around. "What are you waiting for? Get him!" Guy yelled.

The guards drew their swords and red to advance towards Hood, but a shower of arrows that landed near their feet prevented anymore opposition. Guy just crossed his arms, unconcerned of being hurt.

"You have five seconds left in this world!" Robin yelled. Robin said to himself, "his is for you, Lambert. Four. Three." Robin took aim with a flaming arrow. "Two!" He shot it. "One!" Gasbourne watched as the arrow flew past him and remained impartial… until he realized there were three barrels of the black powder inside the cave. He ran as fast as he could to get out of the blast zone, ordering everyone else to run as well. Guy was forced onto the ground by the explosion. The Sheriff, who was a safe distance aways, approached the angry man. "Life is a cruel mistress, Gisbourne. Clean up you mess." And with that the Sheriff rode away.

The gang began their long walk back to the camp. Allan, once agin, pulled Alex to that back.

"Listen. Today you were really upset. You got somethin' you need to talk 'bout?" he asked her.

"I just can't see this destruction going on and it's hard to think that this is where it all started." Alex said in a resigned voice.

"What started?"

"Guns. Bombs. Weapons of mass destruction. Fights. Wars. Attacks on innocents." She looked at the ground not wanting to meet his eyes. She paused for a moment thinking and looked up at him. "My mum died when I was 8. She was shot. She was just shot one morning on her way to work after dropping me off at school." Alex ruffled her hair and placed her hands on her head. Allan stared at her, caught off guard by what she had just admitted to. "The worst part of it…" she continued, "was that morning we were having a stupid fight and the last words I said to her was 'I hate you'. What a cliche." Alex passed, blinking back a tear. "But I'm okay with it now. Just seeing the roots of it is hard."

"I'm sorry." Allan said.

"I'm alright. It was just hard today. I understand how exciting this must be. If I was from here, I would be just like Djaq." Alex smiled her genuine smile and Allan knew she was alright now. He lifted up his arm and Alex hugged him and they walked joined together.

"I'm not bein' funny or anything. You got one interestin' life, Songbird." Allan said.

"I got good friends though, Rooster." Alex respond with a smirk.

The gang was back at camp and were all sitting around the fire, happy at their success, with the exception of Much, who was back, back remained apart, cradling his monogrammed shoes he had received from Eve in his lodging. Robin looked at the ledger, studying it.

"Hey, if I burn it, that's not you, is it? No, I mean, technically you are keeping your word." Allan said leaning against a log by Alex.

"I'll burn it happily. I don't care about my word." Alex added, looking at Allan.

"This is not about one man's wish." Robin said. He tossed it into the fire, where it slid onto one edge. Alex was relieved and happy; Djaq was disappointed.

"It's good to have you back, Much." Will said, interrupting the awkwardness.

Much sadly slipped the slippers into his bag. "It's good to have you back, _my lord _Much." Djaq and Alex rolled their eyes.

"That is gonna get really annoying." Allan said.

"That is gonna get really annoying, _my lord." _Much replied. Robin groaned in irritation. "It is really annoying, but I'm sorry" Much stood up with a cup in his hand. "I like it." Much smiled and walked away.

"Well," Robin said, standing up, "seeing as though you like lording it up…" Alex giggled at the pun. "to Lord Much!" The boys and Alex all smiled in anticipation and ran down and lifted Much up onto their shoulders. Alex laughed on the ground at the obviously distressed Much. Djaq smiled at the antics and then looked down at the burning ledger. Djaq quickly pulled it out as the rest continued their game. "Alright! Alright!" Much yelled. Little John shouted "All hail Lord Much!" completely unaware that Djaq had pulled the ledger out. Robin and Alex watched her and both smiled and the two exchanged glances. They expected nothing less than her power of curiosity.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I still don't own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and its plots. I only own my characters. This is a shorter update due to the fact I am busy this weekend with a debate competition, but the second half will be up soon and so will the next chapter that is of my own devising. Please check out my profile for a poll regarding a playlist. I love to hear your feedback. Following, favoriting, and most importantly, reviewing is helpful for me. Also keep a look out. I have many, many clues for future plots and such. If you read anything you think is foreshadow-y, let me know in a review and you can earn a surprise later on. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9 (Peace off?!)

"I hate you." Alex said staring down Allan.

"No you just hate working on the bow and exercise in general." he said smirking at her.

"Yes but in addition I hate you too." Alex said and she sat down, crossing her legs like a young child at school listening to the teacher.

"Get up and try again." Allan said, looking down at the stubborn woman.

"No." Alex looked down at the ground in protest.

"We can practice with swords?" Allan said in attempt to get Alex to relent and give in.

"Tempting, but no." Alex was not going to give up that easily.

"Come on, Songbird." Allan said with his Rochdale accent.

"Five, four, three, two, and one. My hour is up. Now sit down and get your paper and pen and ink." Alex smirked up at him. She leaned back and kicked her legs out and closed her eyes, basking in the sun.

"That was only twenty minutes."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was. I'm not bein' funny, but you are 'orrible liar." Allan said, getting his materials knowing Alex would win no matter how much they argued. She was so stubborn and so sure of herself and he loved her for that, but also hated her.

Alex smiled as Allan sat beside her, ready to do whatever she instructed with his paper n a wooden slab Will had made without context at Alex's context and a stolen inkwell and pen in his hand. "Write about what you see right now and its emotional impact on you in nay style you want. You can handle that, right?" she asked, opening her eyes for a second for his response.

"Course." Allan replied. Alex often made him write things like this. If she was going to teach him to be literate and to write, she was going to make sure he was fantastic at it. It was such a travesty that she had none of her favorite books with her when she traveled back so she couldn't really teach him about the joy of reading. This was just enough for her though. This was more enough for him. It was enough because they were together.

Allan began writing and Alex was laying on the ground with her eyes closed, thinking about water Alex thought about: usually her home, her new adventures, and Allan. Allan was about to begin writing, but paused. Should he write about what he really saw, or what he saw on a basic level? Alex usually read his work. He didn't think this would be the time to confess how beautiful she was and his true feelings. It was just too complicated and she was too good.

He wrote abut the forest and how serene it was, but in any moment it could erupt into chaos because of all the outlaws and the constantly hunting Sheriff's guards looking for him and his friends into particular. He went off into a tangent about battle and war, which was expected him being a very manly man. He was nearly done and wrote very quickly, since it had no actually passion in it. He got a new page and began to write about what he really saw and felt.

Alex was lying on the forest floor, unaware of her observer. Her eyes were closed. She had her face of thinking of something that brought her joy, indicated by her subtle smile and the slight flush to her cheeks. Allan wondered what she was thinking of. 'Her home? The gang? Of course not me.' But he was very, very wrong. She was thinking of him, writing about herm and how absurd the notion was. The two were so wrong, but so right. They were stuck.

A full forty minutes passed when Alex sat up and opened her eyes. "Give me." She held out her hand for Allan to give her his work. Allan of course had the fake one, but was writing the real one.

"Here." he said handing her the fake one. "I'll just burn these since they are pretty terrible. Lots of spelling mistakes."

Alex raised her eyebrows and stood still, staring at him. They two stared at each other, both knowing what was about to happen. It was just a game to Alex, but a matter practically of life and death to Allan.

Alex smirked and the pounced at Allan reaching for the papers. He held them high above his head and stood up, leaving Alex on the ground. She quickly stood up and brushed the dirt off of herself. "I'm coming for you, Rooster."

"You got to catch me first." Allan gripped the paper sin his hand and took off. He knew running was Alex's weakness, just above to shooting a bow and arrow.

"Hey!" Alex took after him. They chased each other, dodging trees and shrubs until Alex finally caught up to him by sneaking behind a tree. She ripped the papers from his hand.

"Ah hah! I win." Alex smiled her arrogant and proud smile only she could do.

"Oh no!" Allan then tackled her to the ground, grabbed the papers, and quickly ripped them until they were small pieces of confetti, unreadable to everyone, especially her.

"Hey!" Alex said, laughing on the ground. "That's not fair."

"Yes it is. Now admit you lost and we can be done."

"Never!"

"Alright, I did not want to do this." Allan began to tickle the young woman, knowing it was her Achilles heel.

"Stop! Mercy!" Alex said in between laughs.

"Admit defeat!"

"Fine you won!" Allan stopped at laid next to her. Alex continued laughing and giggling after Allan stopped tickling her.

"Ya know Rooster, you are gonna be the death of me someday." Alex said turning her head to Allan, still giggling.

"I hope not Songbird." Allan turned to look at her too. The two were both thinking about what to do. Be brave or be a coward. Kiss or remain friends. Thousands of logical thoughts of doubt and reason filled their heads, but their gut drove them. But before they could even lean in, they were interrupted by a call of their names form Little John.

"Allan and Alex!" he yelled from far away.

Alex sat up. "I guess we should get back." She stood up and gathered their abandoned things. Allan nodded and got up, grabbing his sword and bow and quiver. Both of them cursed themselves for being reckless with their emotions and for not being quick enough.

They all stood around the strange solider who was glaring at them in wonder. Robin filled everyone in on what had happened in the village and everyone was shocked and confused.

"So… master, forgive me, but you found him sing to burn a church, yet you save him and not the church." Much said with his usual puzzled expression.

"Because I could not fit the church on my horse!" Robin replied, also studying the former solider.

Alex carefully approached the man, at Allan's reluctance, and peeled back in shirt's collar that revealed several bizarre and black tattoos across his chest and up his neck. She presumed that they were probably everywhere. "What do these mean?" Alex asked.

Robin stepped forward to look at the tattoos. "These look like Eastern symbols."

"Do you know anything about them or recognize them, Djaq?" Alex asked.

Djaq came forward and took a closer look at the symbols. She gasped and stepped back. "I don't know." she said. It was an obvious lie. Robin frowned at her and Alex gave her a questioning look. "It could be some kind of code." Alex looked at Allan, who hand his hand stroking his chin in thought. When their eyes met, he raised his eyebrows in a shrug. Djaq stared at the Crusader's tattoos knowingly and fearfully.

"It's strange . He fought like a Crusader back in Locksely." Robin said.

"Yeah, on the wrong side the looks of him." Will responded.

"Ya know, maybe he switched "sides" or religion because he couldn't live with the things he had to do in battle. It would not be the first case and certainly not the last." Alex added.

"He definitely went out with King Richard." Robin said picking up and examining the cross around his neck. "He's beyond sides now. War has turned his mind."

"Crusader's sickness." Much said realizing.

"A more accurate term is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. I can't imagine how horrible it is inside his mind." Alex said with her sympathetic face.

"And there'll be thousands more like him lie the war drags on. He needs care." Robin said. He looked at Alex and Much. "Much. You need to look after him. Alex, you look after them both, just for the time being."

"Oh no. Master…" Much pleaded, "Master, please. I mean look at him."

"Well you looked after me of all these years." Robin reasoned.

Alex was about to respond on how she really could not help him since she was not the caring type, but Allan protested before her. "He's a menace! What if he tries to hurt Alex… or Much." He looked over at Alex concerned for her well being. Alex glared at him in return.

"Yes!" Much nodded towards the mischievious outlaw. "You know, I think that's the first time we've actually agreed on something."

"Well it would be my pleasure Robin." Alex interrupted, glaring at Allan. It was infuriating for her that he thought he could decide these things for her. She could handle herself and the Crusader.

"He's been burning down churches and fouling wells." Much said. Allan turned at walked away, but kept a watchful eye on Alex. It was so infuriating to him that she was so stubborn and willful. bin held out his hand for the man to take; the man only looked down at the hand, forcing the cocky outlaw to withdraw in awkwardness. little John shook his head and him and Will left the four.

Much sighed. "Fine. I'll look after him with Alex. Just answer me one question. How are you meant to look after a deranged heretic?" Robin looked at the man, at Much, and Alex, all with uncertainty and cluelessness in their eyes to an individual capacity. Robin sigh, not knowing how to respond.

A mere half hour had passed; the boys, with the exception of Much, were running down a hill at Will and Allan's finding.

"Amazing! You have got to see this wagon, boys. It's completely unique!" Will said with a large grin.

"I'll tell you what, I've never seen a set of wheels like it!" Allan said, acting like a giddy schoolboy. The two friends laughed together in anticipation.

"Independent suspension, reinforced chassis…" Will tariled. The boys reached the sigh of an overturned wagon, that was indeed state of the art, and was made of solid wood. The younger boys began climbing on it and Little John was content with walking around it in a circle. Every began talking at once, excited at the treasure.

"I mean, what is it?' Allan asked.

"It's a fine machine, Robin! Alex's automobiles couldn't even compare." Will said.

"What's that?" Allan asked as Robin began to climb inside.

"Rich owner too." Will took out is axe and made tiny cut in the wood. "'Case this wood… it's not English wood."

Allan was looking inside with Robin now. "This is spectacular." he said.

"Eastern cedar! My dad got a block of it once to make dagger handles with. It's very easy to rout. I'm serious, Robin, cut through knife like butter…" Will trailed off, happy with his finding and excited like he was a young boy again.

Allan crawled on top again and slid into the carriage. "Slide right down." he commented to no one in particular.

"This must have been caught up in the storm two weeks ago. his gully must be a torrent." Robin said.

Allan found apartment inside the carriage and lifted it out. "Hey, looks like some kind of list. Is that directions?"

Robin took and slid down next to Will. "It's the castle, I think." he said.

It was Will's turn to take the parchment. "Looks like the Sheriff's got himself a rich visitor."

Little John was standing behind the wheels and spotted something odd that had fallen out the back. He looked at it and screamed and ran away in terror.

Allan stood up to look at the scared, larger man. "What's up, John?"

Little John pointed at the back of the coach, terrified out of his mind. "There! There!" Robin went over to investigate.

"Eh? Steady up, John. What's got into you?" Allan asked, going over to his friend. Will was heading over to join the two, when a demon (Robin wearing a bizarre mask) jumped out at him. Little John screamed once again, Allan crouched down in fear, and Will desperately tried to get out of harm's way.

"It's no joke, Robin! It's witchcraft!" Allan screamed.

Robin just laughed at them and pulled off the strange mask. "Hardly," he chuckled, "And remember what you and all of us though to Alex? And now you two seem very close…" Allan shoved him in retaliation. Robin continued laughing, turning the mask so it faced himself.

Will took it from him to examine it. It was a black leather helmet that had long pin sticking out of it and had mud caked all over it. "It's a fine piece of work…" Will said. Little John cowered away from it and Allan preformed the sign of the cross and placed his hand on his lips, as if he was receiving the Eucharist. Will pulled a pin in an out of the demonic mask. "… for a nasty mind. Robin…" Will quickly handed it back to the fearless leader.

"The Sheriff's certainly keeping some strange company." Robin commented. Robin put his fingers through the eye holes and wriggled them at his frightened companions.

"Robin! Let it be!" Little John yelled forcefully.

"John, it's only a mask." Suddenly a wind emerged, howling and swirling the outlaws. A large flock of cross emerged, squeaking and screeching at the wind. John and Allan became more terrified. "Oh! Come on! Get a grip." Robin critcized their fear.

The two just stared at their leader, confused as to why he isn't scared.

"You all thought the worst of Alex before we got to know her. And look at her now! I'm sure this mask is the same!" Robin said.

"Ya but, Alex at least is not ugly to look at." Allan said, earning a shove from a Little John. Even when faced with what he thought was the devil's toy, he was protective of Alex and Djaq. "And besides, she's a person. Not" he motioned to the mask, "that."

"Well I suppose we call our new friend Alex then, so you start looking at it like the lovesick fool you are." Robin laughed. Allan scowled.

At the camp, Much and the girls were not making much progress with _their_new friend.

Much stood, leaning over the Crusader. "Right! We're going to try some cooking!"

There was no response.

"Very calming, understand?"

There was no response, except for Alex scoffing at the notion that cooking was calming.

"I'll take that as a yes." Much sat down and in front of him were large, wavy slab of bak that was made a table, and several piles of food was on top of it. Much picked up a knife and pointed at each pile. "Now we have, er, pork, carrots, onions, parsnips. Now, most servants would tell you that this is a stew, but…" Much set a carrot on the cutting board. "Well this I call the Much… Touch…" Much was chopping the carrots and Alex and Djaq rolled her eyes at him. Much continued him lesson, demonstrating as he spoke. "Take the same ingredients, chop them up, skewer them on a broken arrow, cook it over a fire, you're left with something far more interesting." Much held up his concoction to the man and he took it. "Learnt that in Cyprus. There, they, er, call it-"

"Shish kebabi." Much stared at the man, shocked that he was interrupted. Alex got up and left Djaq, sitting down next to Much in awe.

"Then you'll know how delicious they are." Much said in reply, handing the board and the knife to the solider.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to give him a knife?" Djaq asked. Much stops and looked to her and to Alex, realizing that she had a point.

"He does have a name. He's called, er…" He glanced to the man and saw him chopping vegetables. "He's called Harold." Alex and Djaq raised their eyebrows, skeptical. Much replied with a satisfied smile and a nod to the two girls.

"Of all the names on this earth, Harold?!" Alex said. Much nodded in response.

"It's a good, strong, English name." Much told her. He turned back to the newly dubbed Harold. "Maybe this is your true calling. Your new life. I've often thought that a man could make a good living doing this. Get himself a cart wheel it up an alehouse for an evening, set out his wares. Some of these, a bit of stew, meat pies," he chuckled," make a killing."

"Spoiler alert. It is one of the most popular places to order food from now." Alex said. She soon heard the arguing voices of the gang arriving.

"It's true, I'm telling you!" Allan argued, in a passionate, angry voice. Robin called his story rubbish. "It is! And another thing. My cousin definitely saw man turn into a frog. He did! Just outside of Dorchester!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but isn't your cousin always drunk? And your family notorious for lying?" Alex said.

"Well, ya, but still.."

"Another mouth for dinner." Robin said. He was still holding the mask and let go of it so he only held it by is straps by Alex and Much, who were sitting by each other. Much jumped up, scared out of his wits, yelling and he ran away a few paces. Alex was unfazed and held it as Robin dangled it by her, examining it with a smile of curiosity. "Not you as well?" Robin sighed at Much and smiled at Alex.

"What is that?" Much gasped.

"Put it this way," Robin took the mask from Alex, "I would not like to be on the receiving end of this."

"Looks like it's for torture." Much said.

"Maybe decorational. Ya know, it looks like something you would find in a funky art museum, or a horror movie prop where a spirit is attached to it and makes the walls bleed and possesses innocent people." Alex said, laughing. She noticed everyone cowering away and added, "That never happens in real life. It's just some mask."

"Whatever it is, _that_ is not Christian." Allan yelled.

"Well I'm hardly Christian, and look at me." Alex said. She grabbed the mask back and started playing with one of the needles.

"Don't do that! You might cause leagues of locusts, rivers of blood! It's fitting we named it Alex!" Allan said.

"You really know how to flatter a girl, Rooster." Alex held the mask to her face and laughed.

"What? Our friends are convinced a master of the dark arts at the castle. Someone form the East to scare us, a bogeyman under our bed. Come on! Look!" Robin took the mask back and held it out for everyone to see. "Its working already!"

The men shied away as Djaq came forward to look at the mask. "Something this grotesque cannot be for good."

Harold saw Djaq holding the mask and his mind snapped. He ran up to the Saracen girl and held a knife to her throat. "Saracen evil!" he shouts.

"Nothing to do with me." Djaq said in a panicked tone.

Robin pulled out his knife, Allan and Alex their swords, and Will his axe. Robin motioned for them all to stay back as he approached the situation.

"Harold!" Much yelled.

"Torturer!" he spat out.

"Calm down. She's one of us." Much said. Behind Harold, Little John held a rock and was ready to strike. "Now listen to me… drop the knife." Before he could think about it, Harold fell down unconscious and Little John was standing behind him without the rock. "What did you do that for?" Much yelled angry.

"Save Djaq." John replied.

Will and Alex bent down to help their friend, who was shocked and holding their neck. They asked her if she was alright and she could only nod.

"He trusted me! He was gonna drop the knife " Much yelled back.

Little John scoffed.

"You see," Robin held up the mask, "That's how it works. Fear."

Harold was tied up against and tree and remained unconscious for awhile. He was surrounded by a makeshift cage of sticks and his hands were bound. Djaq, Allan, and Alex step down hill, waiting for their leader. bin approached the distressed Little John.

"Come on, John! We're off to drag the wagon out of the mud." Robin said to John's back. He was painting something on a tree.

"No!" he shouted.

Robin walked closer to him and said gently, "We need something strong to keep Haroldin when he has turns." John turned around at this comment. "The wagon's perfect."

"I stay here." Little John replied curtly. He sat down the base of the tree, holding a bowl, and he revealed a white across that he had drawn. "Protected"

Alex rolled her eyes and mumbled something along the lines of, "Superstitious medievals." that earned a glance from Allan, who was one of the more superstitious gang members, but not the most. After all, he was in love with an accused witch.

"You're not serious? The biggest man in Sherwood, jumping at shadows?" Robin said exasperated at his gang's strong ignorance and fear.

Little John stood up. "Not the shadows!" He pointed at the mask, now hanging form a tree. "The devil!"

Robin rolled his eyes at the older man. Alex did as well. "Ya know, you said the same about me. Don't be that way to Alex 2." She lightly hit the mask, causing it to swing. John cringed at the sight of it eerily rocking from side to side.

Robin approached Will, the young carpenter who was finishing the last touches on Harold's cage. "Will?" he said. Will stepped forward in response. Robin whispered, "Go into Nottingham. Find out who's really at the castle. We have to help Little John." Will nodded and left after turning to look at the large, scared man.

Robin took Alex to go and meet Marian. They had hid in the barn and approached the young noble as she was grooming her new horse.

"Don't tell me the Nightwatchman's in dipping into the profits!" Robin said. emerging from the shadows, with Alex following him behind. Robin had brought her because she was good at reason and debate and was the only one that could defeat Marian in a stubborn off. But Alex and Marian were hardly friends and they did not like to see each other. Robin could not understand that despite their similarities, they could not get along. Alex leaned against one of the barrels, examine her nails and ignoring the young, dark haired woman.

"Some men take pleasure in giving women gifts." Marian said, happy to toy with her ex fiance.

"That's a lot of gift." Alex said, looking up briefly and raising her eyebrows.

"And tell me, was it a lot of pleasure?" Robin said on perfect queue. Marian scoffed. "And however you thinking of reciprocating?"

"Maybe you'd find outfit you gave me a gift. As it is… you and your friends only come out of the woodwork to ask me for favors. So?" It was Marain's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Do you and your rich nobles have any strange guests at the castle?" Alex said, standing up and walking out into the open, holding Alex 2. Marian took it, appalled. "The owner of this beauty was on their way here, but we found their wagon turned over in the woods. Most likely not from Europe."

"You've been eating too many mushrooms and casting too many spells in the forest." again said. Alex clenched her fists, but Robin gave her a look that made her stand down. 'Why do they hate each other?!' Robin wondered.

"My men have been thinking the Sheriff has been using a sorcerer." Robin said.

"And despite what you believe about me, magic is not really the best or logical theory to have." Alex commented bitterly.

"Well, they've been eating too many mushrooms… and possibly casting spells." Marian said, holding the mask back out for Alex to take. She ripped it out of the noble woman's hand, protective of it now.

Robin was flustered that she thought this was simply a joke and most of her efforts have been to make Alex react. "Agreed! But if you can tell me who it is, can I reassure my men." Robin said in a quieter voice, "John will not even leave the forest."

Marian's attention was focused on the horse. "Hm. Another one who only coms out of the woodwork when he has too."

Robin turned away at frustration and the two girls stared down at each other briefly. Marian took a serious tone and said, "I'll see what I can do." Robin nodded and Alex glared at her, and turned around without any sign of gratitude.

The two walked back in silence to the camp; Alex was swinging Alex 2 like a handbag in a department store ad. She thought about the events of today and all the mentions of witchcraft. She began to feel insecure in her position in the gang. She could not imagine what they thought of her before they welcomed her. Allan probably even thought she was the devil's spawn. Robin noticed her internal struggle and stopped her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nothing! I am just thinking of where I should hang my friend. I'm thinking over my bed. Like a reverse dream catcher; it sends out nightmares." Alex smirked examining Alex 2.

"What's really going on?"

Alex rolled her eyes and sighed, debating telling Robin. But he was so wise and just and he was the only one that did no judge her from the beginning, or her friend Alex 2. "It's called Alex 2." She lifted up the mask, so it was eye level with him. "Does the gang even want me here? They no I am no witch, but I am a complete outsider. I don't know how to ride a horse or go to Church or can make a fire. Ya know, I just don't know if I really belong here. Sure I get along with everyone now, but every one thought I was a monster at out first meeting and first impressions last forever. John probably cursed my name and prayed for my death. Allan probably told everyone in Nottingham how he once met a witch. I can't believe we almost kis- we are friends." Alex caught herself to late and looked at him with large eyes and a fake smile holding Alex 2 at her chest. Robin just smirked at her.

"Everyone wants you here and you do belong. You have become a better swordsman than most man I have met in my life. You may not know about some things, but you know about a lot others and you have definitely helped us. No one thought that ill of you and John thinks of you as his own. You could never be evil. All of this fear is just ridiculous. The mask is even affecting you!" Robin said with large, controlled hand motions. "And Allan never thought of you as a witch. These men are just not as world as you. You know more than even me!" he smirked at her. Alex punched his arm and began walking again.

"Of course I am smarter than you! It's not even a debate!"

Robin smiled, happy to see most of the insecurities drain from Alex. But she was a paranoid person that was careful with placing her trust. She would never really be at ease here. She would have to give up her other life entirely to be a full member. She wouldn't do that unless it was for a good reason. 'Maybe love, or well ,really Allan.' Robin thought. "So what was this about a kiss?" He smirked, walking next to his friend.

"No kiss at all. I think Alex 2 is messing with your head." Alex smirked and walked ahead of him.

"I was sure you said kiss."

"Well if I did, then you owe me for not really trying to rescue me with the Guyliner-tattoo debacle. So I will hypothetically use that card if a kiss was mentioned."

"You're right. No kiss. I would save that favor for a rainier day." Robin looked at her with a smirk and Alex smiled at him in response.

Marian watched the two retreating figures talk and laugh, with the mask hanging by Alex's side. Marian was jealous, though she could never admit it, especially to herself, of Robin ad Alex's closeness; and besides, overall Alex was stubborn girl that took everything as a joke and never did any real work. While Marian had to bat her eyelashes and look pretty in hopes of getting a sliver of information and then spend nights riding and handing out food in disguise, Alex just did whatever she pleased.

Marian mounted her horse and rode it towards the castle. On the way she stopped by an apple orchard and plucked a few of the native fruits. It took hardly any time to reach he castle and enter it. She came so often she was used to the drill by now.

She walked along a dark corridor, cradling the basket of apples to herself and she could make out the voice of her husband to be, despite him speaking quietly.

"No one goes in, no one comes out. If anyone asks, I want to know." Guy said. He noticed Marian approaching and he jerked his head, indicating to his guards he wants privacy. They left in a hurry, glad to be away from the easily angered man.

"Ah, Marian." He looked down at the apples and smiled, "How thoughtful."

"Actually, I heard there was a guest saying in the castle and I thought he might enjoy some local fruit." she said, smiling sweetly.

"Oh…" Gisbourne quickly thought of an excuse. "No. He doesn't like this kind of food.

"He sounds intriguing." Marian said, looking past the leather clad man and towards the guest's door.

"I'm afraid you really can't be here, Marian." Guy took a bite from an apple with a large crunch. "Orders."

"Orders. Orders." She sighed. "May I remind you, Guy, we are engaged. ou subjecting me to orders, however impressive your gifts, is rather inappropriate." Marian stole the apple back from Gisbourne and left. He chuckled in response, walking the other direction. Marian looked back to see if the path was clear as she set her basket down. She took a torch from the wall and headed back towards the forbidden door. There she opened it slightly. inside she could hear an Eastern man praying and she saw two guards by the door speaking. Marian frowned and closed the door.

It was the next day and Will was running into the outlaw camp, to warn of some impending danger. So it was a usual day.

"Stranger on the move! Out of the castle!" he yelled, running into the outlaw's camp.

"What kind of stranger/" Robin asked, running up to Will.

"Saracen." Will said, looking at Djaq.

"There's our friend!" Alex smiled.

"Oh, we could be attacked by spirit any moment!" Robin said, sternly at the inevitable superstitious based protests.

"He rode out at dawn with Gisbourne and his troops." Will stated.

"Which way was he heading?' Djaq asked.

"This way, into the forest." Will replied.

"Well, we've got to smash the prettier Alex. It could draw him towards us." Allan said pointing towards the mask. Despite his serious tone, he had a hint of his jokester smirk that earned a playful scowl from Alex.

"Ya know, I have never heard a stupider idea." she replied.

"Nothing is going to draw anybody anywhere! Now, let's go and see who he is, shall we?" Robin said crossly. Alex stood over to him, after picking up her sword. Allan shook his head, earning an eye roll from Alex. Robin looked to the fearful Little John. "Come on, John! Come and face your fear!" Little John just continued cowering by his "protected tree". Robin approached him and said gently, "It's okay, John." He just glared in response and Robin scoffed in frustration.

"We are taking on the forces of darkness and we'll be alright?!" Allan yelled.

"Ya know, I would enjoy that. Adds a bit more drama to the story I get to tell when I get back home and out of the dark ages of ridiculous belief." Alex said bitterly. Her insecurities were creeping up again, and despite her closeness with Allan, she felt that he still thought of her as a witch in the back of his mind. She longed for her home and couldn't help mention it; she would never tell this story though beacause her people were the opposite. No magic of any kind could happen, especially falling through time and meeting legends of old. Allan was taken off guard by her comment of going home. He knew that she would leave him and the gang because she had no reason to stay, especially him, but tried to push that thought away and would forget that she was an outsider. She was just any other female outlaw to him, but she held his heart. He glared at her and Robin and turned away from her and the gang in anger.

"Yes! It's a Saracen man! Now, listen to me. This is what we are going to do." Robin said.

Malik, Gisbourne, and the guards rode through the forest at a gallop due to the Saracen's instance and eagerness of finding the inherited carriage. They found the wagon and the Saracen noble dismounted and climbed atop his wrecked property.

"There she is! Come, let us see how badly she is damaged." the Saracen said.

"That wagon's not going anywhere." Gisbourne said. crossing his arms as if he was a moody teenager.

Malik ignored him from on top of the carriage and laughed, "She is still in one piece! That's good Saracen craftsmanship! Hah-ha!"

Malik suddenly disappeared from the side of the wagon and a storm of arrows were being shot towards Gisbourne and his men. The quickly ducked and moved out go harm's way. Behind the wagon where Gisbourne could not see, Robin held a knife to Malik's throat.

"Now, we can do this my way or you can turn me into a frog" Robin said.

"What?" the Saracen asked confused.

"My way, then." Robin said. He lead the Saracen away as Gisbourne and his men hid behind trees, trying to avoid the arrows. Guy tried to peel out once, but two arrows by his head prevented him. The arrows stop suddenly and after a moment, Gisbourne peeks out and then ran towards the bottom of the wagon where his hostage had been kidnapped, sword in hand. He realized the Saracen noble was gone and taken by Robin Hood. He screamed in anger, hitting the already abused wagon with his sword. Hidden in the woods, Alex blows a kiss at Guyliner with Allan and Will beside her laughing and they ran off.

Back at the camp, Much had successfully administered the sedative Djaq created to Harold, and the Crusader was safely sleeping. The members of the gang that had helped kidnap Malik arrive. Robin threw Malik at Little John's feet, startling the large man.

"So… tell me John," Robin said, tossing his bow down as the large man and the Saracen stood. "What is so powerful about him, hm?"

Djaq stood, looking in shock at the man and spoke in Arabic, falling to her knees. The Saracen replied to her in angry Arabic and she replied. Everyone looked at her confused, but Alex understood and smiled.

"At least one of you knows how to show respect." Malik said to Robin.

Djaq ran up to Robin. "What are you doing?!" she asked confused.

"What are _you_ doing?!" he replied in the smilier fashion of a bickering child.

"This man is Prince Malik al-Ayyubi ibn Shadi!" she explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Alex smiled at the others ignorance. "Nephew of Saladin! I served under him."

"_The _Saladin?" Much asked amazed. Djaq nodded proudly.

"Oops." Allan said, looking at Alex.

"I apologize, my Prince. You know how the English are. Inferior, supersitious, and ignorant." Alex bowed at him. "For the record, I am from very, very far away." Allan rolled his eyes at this comment.

"He is royalty." Djaq said, tapping Robin's arm. "Bow down to him." Djaq kneeled once again, bowing her head and dragged Alex down with her.

"Nobody bows down to anybody!" Robin yanked the two girls to their feet. "Not in this forest. John?"

"Ya know, you would not be saying that if it was Richy Richard, Robin." Alex commented, earning an appreciative look from the prince. Everyone else ignored the comment, especially Allan who was angry with Alex for mentioning her home. 'Are we not her home now?' he thought.

"Mm." was Little John's reply. Robin and him had an immediate understanding and held the prince by both arms and dragged them over to the mask, Alex 2, hanging by a tree branch.

"Come and say hello to…" Robin said.

"You, I do not like." Little John said. Djaq's protest could be heard in the background.

"My friends would like to know about this mask." Robin explained harshly.

"What have you done to it?!" Malik shouted. "I cannot present it now!" Robin let go of the prince as he said this.

"That's a gift?" Much asked, incredulous.

"It was." The prince glared at Robin. "A peace offering."

"Peace. Let's stick needles in his head, see how he likes it" Allan joked.

"And this is what happens when cousins marry." Malik pointed at the mask. "This is a model for teaching. Needles placed correctly on parts of the body can cure all sorts of ailments."

"Acupuncture!" Alex shouted. "I knew Alex 2 looked familiar." Malik looked at her confused. "Yes they named it after me because I have some bad association with dark magic as well that is false. But ya, it's acupuncture. I didn't realize because it's Chinese in origin, but it makes sense the Muslims have the knowledge because of trading and their advance sciences and medicine."

"You are very well educated. How are you stuck with these barbarians?" the prince asked, taking more liking to the English, but not English girl.

"It was an odd journey." Alex replied with a smirk of satisfaction.

Allan scoffed, angry at Malik's curiosity of his girl. "Still sounds like dodgy magic to me."

"This is science, not magic." Malik explained. Alex nodded in agreement.

"What, so… you're a physician then?" Will asked.

"You see, John? A physician. That's all." Robin said gently. John just walked away, refusing to believe Robin or the Saracen.

"I'm not a physician. I'm an ambassador. This gift for Prince John is a gift of healing… to celebrate our new peace treaty."

"Prince John wants peace?!" Robin said in disbelief.

"Ya know, I don't think that's true on any levels. He's kind of famous for his greed and when the lion's away, the fox plays, ya know." Alex commented.

"_I _want peace. The Holy Lands are drenched in blood Thousands of men die on both sides." Malik replied. Robin nods. "This is not the will of Allah. It is the duty of all good men to put an end to this barbarity. So I come to negotiate with Prince John and the Sheriff."

"If you really want peace in the Holy Land, then the Sheriff and Prince John are the last people you should be speaking to. Whatever they have told you is a lie." Robin replied.

"And how can I believe what you say? You and your band of" Malik glared at the gang, "superstitious, ignorant outlaws."

All of the outlaws stepped forward except Djaq that remained still and Alex that just nodded in agreement. Robin glared at Malik.

"I'm not bein' funny, mate. We've only just caught you." Allan laughed.

"Let me go." Malik said, keeping eye contact with Robin. "Or let the blood of thousands be on your conscious." Robin stared back, thinking. In the end, Malik was released.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I still don't own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and plots. I only own my characters. I also want to give credit to HOODWINKED because I borrowed the fight scene form them with my alterations. I hope you enjoy this chapter and once I hit 1000 views, which is unbelievably soon, I will post a playlist for this fic that will be updated accordingly. Thanks to all my reviewers and especially knarl. (There's some more foreshadowing in the end if curious.) Follow, favorite, and review. Everything helps. Enjoy!**

Chapter 10

Allan, Alex, and Robin walked towards the north road to meet Marian. They both arrived at the same time. Marian dismounted her new, gifted horse.

"Oh! Nice legs!" Allan commented with a laugh. Marian glared at him and Alex glared at him in anger and Marian in jealousy. "I meant the horse." Allan explained, unconvincingly to the girls. Marian walked over to Robin, and Alex walked past Allan, bumping into him on purpose and walked over to Marian's horse, stroking it softly. "Sheesh." he mumbled. Though Alex wasn't too keen on riding horses, she liked to be near them as long as she was on her two feet.

Allan saw how Alex was snubbing him and didn't understand why she was upset with him. _He_ was upset with _her_. She just had to keep impressing the Saracen fellow and ignore him because of his beliefs. She was just too happy to be a know-it-all in the group and be more worldly than Robin or Djaq. Malik was obviously taken with her, though Alex did not notice, and Allan was fuming with jealousy. In his mind, flirting a little with Marian would solve everything because pushing his feelings onto someone else was going to work. It wasn't and the two were even more angry with each other. Flirting with Marian, Alex's natural competitor was not the smartest move the Rooster had made.

Robin and Marian talked and walked along the road with Alex leading the horse behind them and Allan grumbling on the other side of the horse with his arms crossed.

"There's definitely something going on. Somebody is staying in the castle, but nobody's allowed near him." Marian said.

Robin replied scornfully jealous, like everyone on the road, "It's a good job Gisborne's got the gifts covered, then. You don't deserve anything from me."

Marian sighed, deciding to ignore Robin's outburst. "Guy is being unusually extravagant. It must be a business deal."

Robin shook his head. "It's not a business deal. It's a Saracen prince come to negotiate peace."

"With the Sheriff?" she questioned.

"And he's expecting Prince John."

"Well, no-one's preparing for a summit."

Robin laughed, "You do surprise me, Marian!"

Meanwhile the two upset friends were walking in silence and in anger. Alex focused her attention on the horse. She mumbled in a quiet voice, "Hey girl." and stroked the horse.

Allan looked up from the ground that he was staring at in order to properly brood. "What?" he asked in a more annoyed tone than he intended.

"I wasn't talking to you." Alex glared back at him.

"What's your problem." he asked, letting his hands fall to his side in exasperation.

"Nothing! What's your problem?" she replied bitterly.

"Nothing!" Allan responded loudly.

"Good." Alex rolled her eyes.

"Great." Allan crossed his arms again. Their attention was now focused on the also jealous couple in front of them.

"So how is Gisborne making money out of a Saracen ambassador? It doesn't make sense." Marian said.

"Well, unless it's a" Robin suddenly stopped at having realized the Sheriff's plan. He turned to Marian. "It's a ransom."

"What, he's being held hostage?"

"But he thinks he's a guest."

"The more fool him. I'll bet there's a fat ransom on its way even as we speak."

"Enjoy the horse while you can. I've got a feeling it might be repossessed!" Robin laughed and left, with the two angry friends following. Marian sighed, hurt and annoyed by Robin.

Shortly after Robin realized the Sheriff's sinister plan and talked with Marian, the gang had discovered something odd in the forest. They were perched on the top of a cliff and down below in a clearing was something that resembled a four post bed, but contained a chest instead and had pretty, blue cloths hanging around it. Alex had not seen fabric that pretty since she was back in her home and knew that the owner was very rich. Four woman was practicing what looked like a ritual dance with long, fluid motions. The woman were dressed in Saracen clothes in a similar opulent cloth. A Saracen general paced by the, watching their movements.

"Allan," Robin whispered, jerking his head towards the woman. Allan ignored him and focused staring at Alex, whose mind was intent on speaking with Djaq and Will. Robin pulled on his sleeve and finally got the outlaw's intention.

"That doesn't look like a ransom." Allan said with a false grin (he only had eyes fro Alex). All the men grinned at the decorated women, but Djaq look at them in fear and Alex looked at the men in disgust, mumbling about how they could be slaves and how the patriarchy was terrible.

"It is not a ransom." Djaq said, deadly serious.

"Of course it's a ransom. Look, flags of safe passage, women to show good faith…" Alex rolled here eyes. All the men were entranced by the woman, with Allan feigning it. The women continued their serene dance as the solider walked over to the decorated chest and pulled down a blue cloth, revealing wood with a solider painted in back with a white cross on it. The solider stepped to the side as if waiting for something.

"Robin, this is not right. Muslims are forbidden to worship human images." Djaq said.

"I'm not surprised. It's hardly a masterpiece is it?" Allan said.

"Ya know, this could be like some anger releasing thing based on that accurate drawing." Alex commented bitterly.

"I think it might be the al-Shuj'aan. Salah ad-Din's assassination squad." Djaq said. Robin, Allan, and Little John chuckled at the idea. Alex looked at her with full belief in what she was saying, and Will turned to her with a serious face.

"Only one of them is armed." Robin said. He looked over to the chest, his outlaw instincts taking over. "And that chest of money could feed a lot of mouths. Let's take it." Robin began to stand, but Alex pulled him back down.

"Robin, no!" Djaq protested. Right on time, the soldier clapped his hands. The women responded by cartwheeling and flipping away from the chest and reached into poses, then with outstretched arms, flung four pointed stars at the drawing with perfect accuracy. The stars hit the cross perfectly in a row. The outlaws looked shock and remained that way until Alex interrupted. "I want to be them."

"That's not worship. That's target practice." Will said, staring at the scene below.

"You're not listening to me because I'm a women. Don't make the same mistake with them." Djaq said.

"I'm all ears." Robin replied, wide-eyed.

The gang returned to the camp where Much and Harold were alone for a time. Robin leaned against and thought out loud about their situation. "The prince thinks he's here to negotiate peace… and the Sheriff thinks a ransom is on its way," Robin walked towards the fire. "… but neither of them know that Salah ad-Din has sent assassins. So…" Robin hated next to the fire, with his hand near his mouth in deep thought. Harold was leaning against a tree by his cage, Little John was sitting on the ground nearby, Djaq was sitting on a log near the fire, Will stood behind John, and Much walked over to Robin. Alex sat the farthest away from the hearth of the camp, poking the ground with a stick thinking about how despite Robin's earlier wise words, she still was an outsider. Allan walked towards her, putting on his cloak and stoping beside her in habit, even though the two were not getting along.

"So we stay here and do nothing. We let those al-Fajanis kill the Sheriff and rescue the prince." Much said.

"That sounds good to me." Allan said, fastening his cloak on.

"No! The al-Shuj'aan do not rescue. They're killers. That's what they do. Kill, or die in attempt." Djaq explained.

"Well if they're not going to rescue the Prince, then what are they doing here?" Much asked.

"They are here to kill Malik." Alex realized, looking up from her task. Allan looked at her, upset that she was using his first name. Allan would be happy if he died if Malik was going to take his girl.

"Why would Saladin want to kill his own nephew?" Much asked.

"A nephew that wants peace at any cost. Saladin wants a good deal." Alex reasoned with her signature smirk and eyebrow raise.

"So why send him over in the first place?" Will asked.

"But that's the thing. He didn't. Malik told me he came on his own before he left." Alex said. 'Yep. Definitely hope he dies.' Allan thought.

Robin stood up and turned to Djaq. "We have to rescue the prince." Allan mumbled under his breathe so no one could hear, "No, we don't."

"We tried that before. He doesn't want to know." Will said.

"I could try to talk some sense into him. He likes me." Alex replied.

Allan was visibly red now. "War in the Holy Land is 2000 miles away. It's not our problem!"

"No, Allan, you're wrong! War is here! It's right here in the forest!" Robin yelled. He stepped so he was facing Harold, who simply looked at the ground. The gang walked so that they formed a semi-circle around the sick solider. "He was an ordinary Englishman. He tilled the fields, he loved his wife, he cared for his children."

"He's not married!" Allan scoffed.

"It's an example. Come on. You're better than this, Rooster." Alex said standing up. She placed her hand on his arms, forgetting about her anger with him for that simple comment to Marian. Allan forgot about her friendliness with the prince by that simple touch. Allan nodded in agreement and Alex smiled back.

"Then he was forced to go to the Holy Land to fight. Look at him! A pitiful shadow of a man. Everyday good men like Harold are destroyed out there! Only peace can put a stop to this." Robin continued.

"Who are you calling pitiful?" Harold said suddenly. The gang turned at looked at him. "You ran from women."

"You know about them?" Robin asked.

"I know which part of hell the al-Shuj'aan come from" Harold pointed to this temple. "… in here."

"They're the ones who did this to you?" Much asked stepping forward.

Harold nodded once.

"Does anyone here know what these two are talking about?" Allan asked. Harold stood up, looking at Allan. Allan instinctively put himself in front of Alex, and she instinctively help onto his arm. Harold looked at Allan and looked at his bound hands in concentration. The ropes snapped and Allan pulled Alex back along with the other members of the gang insignificant retreat. Harold just calmly sat back down and said to Allan, "That's what we're talking about."

"Forget the ransom! You can have him for free!" the Sheriff screamed and pleaded to the Saracen guard. The guard just smiled that his plan had worked. The female assassins were as efficient as ever in the job in killing and the Sheriff and the English as a whole, had fallen for the prospect of money. Their greed was a key factor in this plan.

"You misunderstand, my friend." the Saracen said with air of superiority, "We're not here to rescue the prince. We come to bury him along with all talk of peace."The Saracen raise his sword high, prepared to give the lethal blow, but was interrupted by the swish of a arrow. He looked down and found an arrow in his chest, causing the Sheriff to scream more. The Saracen's curved sword fell from his hand and onto the Sheriff, who then clutched it in here. Robin then appeared, causing the Sheriff to whimper, along with Alex, Allan, Much, and Djaq holding their swords at the scared Sheriff. Little John held his staff and Will watched the scene, prepared to offer assistance if required.

"Where's the prince?" Robin asked sternly.

"Forget him. You stay here. Protect me." The gang replied by holding the pointed and lethal ends of their weapons closer to the man. "I'll give you your prince." He reasoned.

"Where?" Alex demanded.

"In the hall." The sheriff said, glancing in its direction.

Robin motioned for his gang to head over and try to protect the prince. "Will, get the horses to the East gate. We'll get Malik." he instructed. Will nodded and ran off to his task's demands.

The gang headed into the Grand Hall, with the noise of the desperate Sheriff and the primal war call of the female assassins. They bursted in the hall and found Malik kneeling on the ground, resigned to his fate of death. He was surrounded by four guards. They immediately yelled to get the outlaws.

"Forget us! Watch the entrance!" Robin ordered.

"You heard him! Guard the doors!" The Sheriff yelled, following behind and carrying the curved sword high.

"The Sheriff's with us?!" Much questioned. The gang ignored him and circled around the prince in a defensive position.

"Did no one ever tell you that fools do not deserve to be rescued?" Malik told Robin and Alex, who stood on either side of him.

"Ya know, we haven't rescued you yet." Alex said with a smirk and a swing of her sword.

"La di da di da. Will you just shut up?!" The Sheriff ordered nervously. They all waited and heard screams of the slain guards. Malik mouthed a silent prayer. The gang all got into defensive positions and Robin ordered Malik to stand behind him. The gang all prepared for what was in store. "Do you have any ideas?" the Sheriff continued.

"Much, Djaq, John, over there." Robin ordered, looking at the door. "Vaisey, Allan, Alex with me." Every dashed to their location and Alex and Allan stood beside each other, back to back since they both of their skills increased when fighting as a pair.

"Me?" Vaisey asked.

"Do it or we die." Robin responded.

The gang waited for a calm moment and then the doors bursted open, revealing the ruthless women. They calmly pulled of their veils and vest, revealing tattoos similar to Harold. They held up their swords and so did the outlaws. The women charged and ran down to Robin, he Sheriff, Allan, and Alex below, protecting their target.

"Oi!" Little John shouted. The woman looked behind them in response. "Come on then." The women spun their swords and formed a moving circle, pushing everyone back. They continued this for several minutes until they suddenly stopped.

"Ready" Robin said. "Now!" The outlaws and the Sheriff all attacked the women. The woman blocks Robins blow, causing him to step back. The Sheriff crossed in front of Robin, who pushed him out of the way and spun around to face the woman again as the Sheriff took a hack at her. The woman blocked both their swords and turned to face them. Little John swung his staff and the woman ducked. He turned around, using his momentum, and butted her with his staff, but she easily and with no work turned it aside. Robin and the Sheriff both attacked their foe, reuniting the enemies for awhile, but the women easily blocked them again, one with each hand. Allan swing and is blocked, then was kicked backwards, leaving Alex alone with the women. The women attacks her and Alex barely blocks and then attempts to kick the assassin in the fcae, but she quickly dodged out of the way. The woman spun round to face Little John, and his current opponent spun around to take on Djaq as Much was kicked backwards in the face. The Sheriff brought his sword down in front of the woman; Robin pushed the Sheriff out of the way and spun round to face her himself. The Sheriff swung again and is knocked down. Two women attack Allan and Alex, who are defending together and block them. The Sheriff and Robin each attack and are blocked by the woman, one with each hand. Little John swung his staff and the woman turns from Allan and blocks with both swords, then pushes his staff to the floor with one before spinning round to take on Alex and bringing the other sword up under the staff at the same time, pulling it up and forcing Little John to step backwards. Robin and the Sheriff knocked back the woman, but she jumped to sit on the table behind her and kicked out at Robin. Much and Djaq defended themselves again. Robin fell to the floor and the woman then spun off the table with her right leg flying at the Sheriff 's head, avoiding his overhand swing and landing deftly on her feet. Robin quickly stood, putting an arm around the Sheriff, and pushed him aside while spinning to face the woman. Much swung his sword and is blocked. The Sheriff attacks and is pushed back with a foot. Robin charged and is blocked low, then she brought her sword up in an arc and around, pushing Robin's out of the way. Spinning swords come at Little John, who defended himself by holding his staff over his head, but then is pushed back with a foot to his stomach. Alex attacks, but the woman defends, spins and kicks her, sending her sailing into the corner after her sword. Allan immediately came to her aid and fought off the women himself, but was also sent back. Robin blocked and was pushed back into the table. He grabbed the woman's right arm and twisted it behind her back. She immediately kicked him behind her back, knocking him into the Sheriff, who was already crouched on the floor. He yelled, "I hate this! This isn't much fun at all!" Robin fell behind the Sheriff. Much and Djaq were pressed back into the window by two women. Much had his sword arm round Djaq and held his shield up to protect them both as Djaq kicked out, forcing the women back. The Sheriff ducked under the table and covered his head with his hands. Suddenly there was a new person whooping a war call.

Everybody turned to face the upper doorway as Harold rushed in, bare chested, showing off all the tortured tattoos. He leapt up to stand on the railing in one easy, graceful move. The women regrouped, facing the balcony. Harold flipped so he landed swiftly on the floor below, two swords ready. He and the women stared at each other a moment, then Harold started spinning his swords and the women joined in. They formed a circle around him as the gang watched, ready to step in when necessary. The first woman attacked, but Harold blocked and spins round to face the one behind him. He blocked again. The women circle round, but Harold was ready to block any one of them with his swords spinning. He defended one in front, then turned and defended behind him. The Sheriff came out from under the table finally. Harold ducked just enough to dodge a blade, jumped up, then ducks another and leaned back to defend behind him. He and the latter woman both spun around and Robin finally stepped in to engage the first woman as the Sheriff ducked her sword.

"Get Malik out now!" Robin yelled while Harold advanced on two. Robin blocked, turned and blocked another. Little John went behind the table to get Malik. Allan engaged the fourth but was blocked and kicked backwards, forcing Alex to take on the woman alone. Much and Djaq stood ready to defend as Little John got Malik, who was sidling away from him along the wall. Harold jumped and spun around, forcefully knocking blades to push one to the floor. He immediately turned and blocked as the Sheriff swung and a woman ducks. Harold ducked as his opponent spun around. The Sheriff attacked again, but Robin grabbed the back of his coat, pulling him back out of the way and blocking at the same time, but is knocked down. Harold reached back as the woman reached out to defend and he quickly sliced across her belly with his other sword.

"One," Harold said as he turned and goes down to one knee, stabbing another as she raises an arm to attack and Little John, Djaq, Much and Malik made their way along the south wall behind her. Allan and Alex's opponent spun around, jabbing behind her, and Alex kicked her in the back with her foot as Harold pulled his sword out of the body. "Two," he continued. Allan's and Alex's opponent caught her balance near Harold. Much, Little John and Djaq still protected Malik as they make their way to the stairs. Harold ducked a swing. The remaining two women turned on him, leaving Robin and the Sheriff crouching in front of the table. Harold blocked a sword each, raising his arms over his head, and they both kicked him back as the gang, except Robin, watched from the stairs. Harold regained his balance as one female circled around behind him. Harold glanced back at her, then turned and raised one arm over his head to defend her from behind as the one in front spins her swords. Harold jabed his right sword behind him, stabbing her, then spun around and sliced across her belly with the other. "Three," he continued. The last one rushed him, leaping over her fallen comrade, and he blocked her perfectly. She tried to stab him, but he jumped aside and got his swords under hers and brought them across in an arc, knocking both swords from her hands in succession. He immediately brought both his swords to her neck and slices outward, severing her head. "Four," he concluded.

The gang, who were at the base of the stairs, protecting Malik, looked at Harold shocked at his deadly skill. They were interrupted by the words of the Sheriff. "Get him," Vaisey pointed at Malik, "Prince Bismallah … far away from here."

"The feeling is mutual." Malik replied.

Robin put his arm around Harold and began to lead him out of the Great Hall. "And Locksley, remember…" The Sheriff added as Robin turned to look at him, "business, as usual... tomorrow."

"I'll look forward to it." Robin replied as they all departed.

Back at the outlaws' forest, Malik removed a needle from the now cleaned mask, or Alex 2, that was on Harold's head. Malik held the blunt needle to his lips in thought, until his thoughts were interrupted by Robin.

"And you've never done this before." Robin said. The gang were all hurled around Malik and Harold.

"I've studied the theory." Malik replied.

"Will it work?" Much asked.

"Ask him yourself." Malik replied.

"How do you feel?" Much asked Harold.

"It doesn't feel bad. It's been a long time since I could say that." Harold said as Malik pulled out the rest of the needles.

"How long will the needles have to stay in?" Djaq asked curiously.

"Of that I am not certain." Malik removed Alex 2. "I will send more instructions once I have reached Jerusalem."

"No need. I'll come with you. See you safe." Harold replied, driven by his sense of gratitude and loyalty. Malik nodded in response.

"You're gonna go back there?" Much asked Harold in disbelief.

"There'll be no peace in here," he replied pointing to his temple. "…until there's peace out there."

"I'm afraid your hopes for peace may be in vain." Robin said.

Alex lightly slapped him for being rude, though she agreed. "Looks like you got yourself a partner in you noble quest. I hope you succeed." she said, smirking at Malik.

"I hope so. Think about it, my friends. Saladin sends his finest soldiers to kill me, yet I survive. It is the will of Allah. Allah wills peace. Saladin may be ruthless, but he is a good Muslim, and even he must follow the will of Allah." Malik replied, returning a smile. Allan coughed and glared out of jealousy.

"Well, I may not believe in the will of Allah, but I know a thing or two about fate and I think things will work out in the end. If you ever need help, send a letter addressed to Alex Hunter, Sherwood Forest."

Malike paused for a minute, thinking. "You could also come with us. You are so much smarter than these outlaws. You could be helpful in diplomatic matters and in a fight."

Alex stared at him, shock for a minute. The men of the gang stepped forward at the comment about them and Allan stepped forward to land a nice punch on the prince for trying to take his girl, but Alex holdout here arm, stopping them. "Ya know, that's not my fate, Malik. My home is here now. Whether I like it or no, but the thing is, I love it here. Sure, the people here aren't the most worldly and educated, but they are loyal and loving and I am loyal to them and love them. I belong here." Alex smiled at Robin and then Allan, knowing now that this is where she belonged and she was not an outsider anymore. Robin smiled back, proud at the once stranger, turned loyal member. Allan smiled back, knowing that there was a part of her, however small, that loved him back.

"I figured." Malik said, turning to look at Allan, knowing what was going on between the two. It was so obvious it pained him. He turned back to the bright eyed girl. "If you ever need help, write a letter to Prince Malik, Jerusalem."

Malik and Harold departed that night and Robin and Much had left to say goodbye and show them the way. Between that time, chores and odd tasks were done around the camp, leaving Allan and Alex separated for that time. It wasn't until their star time, they could talk. At dinner, Djaq had to steal Alex and gush about the prince's proposal.

Allan was already laying down in his makeshift sleeping area when Alex laid down after her conversation with Djaq.

"Hey Rooster." she said, laying down.

"Songbird." he replied.

"Today was weird."

"I agree."

"Allan, did you think I was a witch when you first met me?" Alex asked, leaving herself open to hurt.

"Odd, yes. Crazy, slightly. Evil and magical, no." he replied with a grin.

Alex smiled as well. "Ya know, I don't entirely belong, do I? I'm from so far away."

"But you are one of us now. I'm not being' funny, if you were from some village around here, you wouldn't be that much different."

"Oh. So what would I be like if I was from here?" Alex said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I s'ppose some richer type girl, maybe even a noble, with a knack for gettin' into trouble with a big mouth." Allan smirked at her.

"Oh thanks. That makes me sound like a risky idiot."

"That's 'retty accurate."

Alex sat up and lightly hit Allan.

"Oi!"

"You deserve it!"

"No I don't. Just being' honest! No crime against that, is there?"

"An A Dale being honest is a rarity, isn't it?"

"Ey! Don't bring me family name into this!"

Alex laughed and laid back down. "I won't. I'm sorry."

After a moment of silence, Allan began to speak. "What would I be like in you world?"

"Oh that's a tough one. Hmm." Alex paused for a minute, scrunching her face in thought. "Oh. I got it! Okay, so you would be a student like me and you would have a major in like something really cool and employable. You also would be the guy at parties that does those party tricks that are obvious crowd pleasers. Also could see you for some reason having like a hip, brown leather jacket."

"Why a _brown_ leather jacket?"

"Black would not look good on you." Alex replied with a giggle, thinking of the unlikely scenario of Allan wearing Guyliner's clothes.

Another long moment of silence passed. "So why did you not go with the prince?" Allan asked.

"Because this is my home now. I wouldn't trade it for anything." Alex replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It may have its faults, but I have never felt more alive and happier."

"What will you do when you have to go to your real home?" Allan said, spitting the word real out like a poison.

"We'll deal with that when we have to." Alex said, turning to face Allan, who also turned to face her. They feel asleep that night studying each other in the case that there would a reason Alex had to return home. They both knew that that scenario would destroy them both.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Again, I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and plots. I only own my characters. I have officially hit over 1,000 views. I am so unbelievably grateful. If you are into music, I have created a playlist for the first part of the fic. Just go to my profile and there is information there. I am sorry this is slightly on the short side, but I have a major project due for English and this is an original chapter. With the upcoming spring break I will hopefully be finishing, or close to finishing season 1. It is going to be very epic. Thank you to all my reviewers. Please follow/favorite/review/ It really helps.**

Chapter 10

"We win! Bow down losers! I am the queen of the Sherwood! Bow down!" Alex said strutting into the camp with Allan behind her. She stood on top a rock and curtsied holding up a non existent skirt for dramatic effect.

"Impossible. You only were out for a few hours." Much said incredulous at the pair.

"Very possible! Look at all the wealth we brought in." Alex dumped out a bag of various riches and Allan did as well. "I couldn't have done it without my partner in crime." Alex pulled up Allan so he stood next to her. "Ya know, I think we could be good rulers"

"Ya. Fair, but 'arsh. You now have to 'ddress me as King Allan and my partner as Queen Alex." he said looking out at his friends.

Robin inspected the spoils before him. This was the week when all the merchants, nobles, and peasants came to Nottingham to sell and trade. It was the biggest, and most profitable, week of the year in the shire, so it was expected that every year the poorer traders would be cheated and gain little money and in some cases, loose money. The richer merchants and the nobles would gain immensely, and the Sheriff would get enough money from taxes he imposes just for the week that he could redecorate the entire castle to his dark and sinister liking and still have some cash remaining.

"How did you get _this_ much? We were out there for much longer than you and got only half of this?" Robin said, referring to his, Little John's, and Much's earlier turn that had easily brought in more than Will and Djaq.

"Rush hour traffic. Ya know, it sucks for the travelers, but it is great for robbers." Alex replied with a satisfied smirk. She bent down and found a fancy, silver hair ornament and she placed it down on her head so the silver branches wrapped around her head. "I think this suits me. Your opinion, my King?"

"Very suitable." Allan said, picking up a goblet and holding it as if he was toasting himself, which he really was but was just missing the wine necessary.

"Did you take 10%?" Robin asked with a knowing smirk. He knew these two together were no good for the rich of Nottingham.

"How dare you Robin?" Alex said in mock shock and hurt. "We are not sinister rulers. We follow our own laws and have not imposed any tax or laws on you, yet you hurt us." Alex fake fainted into Allan's arms.

"You are no longer a knight of the A Dale kingdom. You are banished." Allan added.

"Wait the A Dale kingdom?! It's the Hunter kingdom!" Alex said, departing from Allan's arms.

"I'm not bein' funny but I did most the work."

"Most of the work! I had to lay in the dirt and play damsel in distress! The dirt, Rooster! Ya know there are bugs in dirt! And being a _damsel_ in _distress_ goes against my entire belief in feminism. You know I hate the patriarchy and the view of the ideal women that exist in this time and still in mine! I actually made a sacrifice."

"I was the one robbing them. All you did was look 'retty and knocked a person or two when necessary!"

"Ya know, I will assassinate you and rule myself if you push me!"

"Not if I kill ya first and then just remarry someone with real power!"

"Allan! Alex!" Robin yelled interrupting them. "It doesn't matter. You are the King and Queen of the Sherwood or whatever you call it and you live happily ever after. Just gather your prize and leave."

"Fine." Alex said with a pout, flipping her hair and walking away, tossing her crown to Much who barely managed to catch it. As she walked she grabbed her prize of a few coins to spend at the market and she turned to look over her shoulder and smirked at Allan since their ingenious plan had worked. Allan yelled at her to wait up and stormed over to her, grabbing his prize and tossing his goblet to Much as well.

They two fake fought with each other, trying not to laugh at the success of their plan. They only had three carriages pass by in their short turn, all in one party, but instead of the standard 10% Robin put in place, they had taken a measly 50%. The party was owned by the richest and sleaziest noble in all of England, a noble by the name of Buckingham and he was despised by everyone in the country, but his wealth made him a strategic ally. So the two figured no one would really miss the valuables of Buckingham except those, like the Sheriff, who wanted to align themselves with him and Buckingham himself. The only thing really hurt was the selfish noble's pride. So the pair was just a little bit greedy and incredibly lucky and resourceful when it came to their entry.

Robin looked at the two's attempt at fighting, which contained random yelling and giggles. He realized as they walked away it was all apart of their plan, but he let them have it, despite Much's complaining and whining. He should have seen it coming when the two paired up together and then suggested their should be a prize of a pouch of coins for each member of the winning team. 'Hopefully they will send the money wisely and in the process, tell each other their feelings so we can all stop looking at the two fools.' he thought. They were the perfect match, but the two had to make things as complicated as possible and disregard the necessary so when they finally succeeded, it was in immense glory. No one doubted that their final admission to each other of their undying love would be the thing of epics, hopefully minus bloodshed

The two had their own individual plans for the money they earned. They of course were going to the market they had just deprived valuable of and make purchases they normally couldn't by being outlaws that gave everything to others in more need. They were proud od their work, but Allan was a natural greedy thief and Alex was used to having money in her pocket in case of emergency or a really cool find at a thrift shop. Allan had a plan to woe Alex off her feet, and Alex had a plan perfectly inspire Allan's heart. The two had no idea that the other had created the elaborate plan of the contest for the other. The were the perfect match.

As they left the gang and walked over to their usual training spot, they dropped their ruse.

"Ya know, I cannot believe they let us get away." Alex commented, counting the amount of money she now possessed.

"I 'alf expected Much to steal the money from us." Allan laughed in reply.

"I half expected everyone to! Their faces were priceless."

"So what are you going to buy at the market tomorrow, Songbird."

"I think I am just gonna look around. Ya know, see if anything catches my eye." Alex smirked back at her friend's ignorance. She had been planning this ever since she heard about this week and then some.

"Hope ya find somethin' nice." Allan replied, secretly hoping that she would not find anything so he could do that part himself.

"So what is the training today?" Alex said, setting her things on the ground and pulling out her sword.

"No sword. Bow." Allan replied, picking up a bow from a hidden spot inside a tree along with a quiver of arrows. He held them out for Alex with a childlike grin as she glared at him and groaned.

"Why? Can we just accept I am never gonna get this?! Whenever we have to shoot at the Sheriff and his men, everyone is spot on and my arrow goes only a foot in a direction that essentially is the opposite. I'm good with the sword. Can't I just survive on that?"

"I'm not bein' funny, but if ya jus practice, ya will get better." Allan said. Alex rolled her eyes and grabbed the dreaded weapon. "Good. Now how about you just show me how you usually shoot." Alex rolled her eyes again and slung the quiver onto her back. She pulled an arrow out and strung it and quickly shot it, aiming at a tree trunk. Before the arrow even flew, Allan started cracking up. As the arrow pathetically landed a foot to the right of Alex, he was howling.

"What?!" Alex yelled, displeased.

"You are worse than I first met ya." Allan said between laughs. "You are placing the arrow in the wrong side of the bow." Alex looked at him with concentrated and bewildered look. "'Ere." he said, approaching the confused woman. He grabbed the fallen arrow and positioned himself so as she was in a proper stance, he enveloped her. He held her right hand and guided it, showing how to properly place the arrow, so it was on the outside of her body. His hand also rested on her left, aiming the bow for her. "Like this." he continued. The closeness was absolutely fantastic, and unbearable. Alex wanted nothing but to spin around and kiss Allan, but she knew better and besides, she already had a plan to admit her feelings, though she was still hesitant about it since she was from so far away. Allan wanted nothing but to spin her around and kiss her and hold her, but he already had his plan and his insecurities of his lowly, uneducated status pried on him. Instead, Alex's eyes fluttered towards him as he looked head on at the target, trying to avoid her curious and gorgeous bright blue eyes. Allan, guiding Alex, drew back and fired the arrow, that almost nearly perfectly hit its target. Alex was snapped out of her trance and laughed and smiled at her victory, and Allan then could not help but stare at her glittering eyes and enchanting lips. She was focused on her vicarious success, but if she had looked at him that moment, nothing could have stopped them. But their fate was not in align.

"I can't believe I was doing it wrong this entire time!"

"Me too." Allan replied with a smirk. Alex shoved him playfully and giggled.

"Nothing can stop me now. Except death itself." she smirked and finally turned around. Despite her shove, the two were extremely close, only leaving a few mere inches between them. They looked at each other and into each others eyes, ready to act on their instincts, but their fate was not in align. Their logic kicked in and they awkwardly stepped back from each other, looking at the ground.

"Ya know, I um, promised Djaq I would help her make a um something important medicine thing." Alex said, her lie obvious which was a rare occurrence for her.

"Ya I need to help Will build um a build a chair. For the poor." Allan said with another rarely obvious lie.

"Great. We both have things to do. Um see you later." Alex smiled awkwardly, ;picked up her things and quickly walked, or well really ran to the outlaw's camp. There, she threw her things at Much to carry to her private are and then grabbed Djaq, who was sitting by the fire, conversing with Will, and dragged her to a secluded area of the camp. Everyone stared at her bewildered.

"What is going on?!" Djaq asked as she was dragged against her will.

"Nothing. We are just talking like how friends do." Alex replied, looking over at the gang that now greeted a panicked Allan.

"What happened between you and Allan?" Djaq asked, knowing that the two were always in a struggle.

"Nothing. Why are you asking? What happened between you and Will, huh? Ya know, just because I am a woman who likes a man does not mean my entire life revolves around that." Alex said with panicked eyes, stealing glances at Allan, who was now stealing Will.

"Because I know you and I know you will not admit your feelings."

"Fine. I will tell you."

Djaq replied in a satisfied smirk.

"So Allan was teaching me how to shoot an arrow with the bow-"

"Because you are embarrassingly terrible." Djaq added with a smirk.

Alex glared at her an continued. "Yes. But as he guided me we stood very close and I turned around and we almost kissed. This is the bloody second time!"

"Second?"

"Yes the first John interrupted us."

"So why don't you just kiss and end all of this awkwardness?"

"Because I'm not sure I should kiss him. I like him, but where could it lead. I have to go home sometime and we are fighting for our lives everyday. A relationship does not work when you are an outlaw and the Sheriff has reserved a noose for you. Besides, he surely does not _truly_like me. Ya know, I'm just some pretty girl he wants to have fun with."

"Valid points, but you still like him. Just tell him."

"I can't just tell him. I wouldn't be able to. I would do it in a sarcastic manner and that would make everything more awkward." Alex sighed. "I do have a plan to get him a gift that would invite romantic gestures or courtship or whatever. But just like an invite. Not a proclamation."

"Explain."

"Well, so you know how I am the Queen and I won that money today." Alex smirked. Djaq nodded, aggravated at her ego. "And you know how I met that woman, Sarah. She has a daughter and her father used to be a tanner. Well, I needed a new journal a few weeks ago and I bought one she made, which might I add, is way better and cuter than the one I have from back home. But I told her I would pay her back as soon as possible with the purchase of another journal during the market week. I have been teaching Allan how to read and write so I figured he might like it or want it or hate it. Probably hate it."

"How thoughtful. I think you should."

"No! You are my logical friend! You are supposed to help me stay grounded and say 'No. Don't date him because that is a bunch of unnecessary drama in your already chaotic life.'"

"But it's true." Djaq held her friend and looked at her intently. "You both like each other so just tell each other that."

Alex paused for a moment thinking. "I am going to ask Robin for a second opinion. Also I need you to make a medicine thing because I lied about that and I always need to come through on my lies. Thanks. You are the best." And with that, Alex ran off to find Robin.

Of course as Alex talked to Djaq, Allan had stolen Will for the exact same purpose. He had stormed into the camp moments later and grabbed Will, making the rest of the gang even more confused at what was going on between the two.

"What happened?" Will asked his friend.

"Why are ya askin'?" Allan defensively replied.

"Because I know that you like Alex and you are too shy to admit it." Will responded, crossing his arms.

"I ain't shy."

"Yes, you are. When it comes to Alex, you are an entirely different person. Cocky and confidant Allan does not exist around her."

"Well I got a plan to fix that."

"And that is?"

"I'm gonna go to market 'morrow and buy somethin' pretty. Girls like jewelry, right?"

"I don't know."

"You aren't bein' helpful."

"This is not my issue. You are the one acting like child. But I will help you if you wish."

"Thanks mate. Also you need to build a chair. It's a long story."

"Wha-" Will started, but Allan was gone before he could finish his word.

Robin was the next to be dragged into this mess. "Robin!" Alex yelled, walking into the camp. Robin had faced death many times and had seen many horrors at war, but he had never been more terrified than at the inevitability at being dragged into this un-neccesary dance of hiding feelings by the two.

"No." Robin quickly replied.

"I didn't even ask anything." Alex said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"But you will." Robin looked over his shoulder at an approaching Allan and dragged Alex off to the side. "Listen, we can not have this nonsense happening at the camp. Just admit your feelings and be done with it."

"We?"

"We took a vote when you and Allan were training."

"Fantastic. Listen, I just need advice on it. It's just too complicated isn't it?"

"You are only making it that way. Just tell him, plain and simple."

"Maybe you should take your own advice." Alex smirked and walked over to her makeshift area that continued all her possessions. She sat down and began dribbling in the second volume of her journal.

Allan sat down by the fire, next to Much and Little John. Much was completely irritated with this entire mess and Little John was just amused at this entire chaotic event; it reminded him of when he was younger and in love with Alice. Of course this situation was a lot more complicated, but it suited the two to make their relationship as epic as possible. They were only short of bloodshed and death.

Robin joined them, sharing an exasperated look with Djaq and Will. He sat down at the fire and Will and Djaq went off to accomplish the tasks for their friends that needed to cover their lie, which was a pointless endeavor. Allan began to middle an arrow and muttered about everything, making everyone present amused and they chuckled, but were cut off by his glare.

'Oh can they just hurry up already?!' Much asked himself, knowing that they never really would.

"Vaisey!" Buckingham shouted with the doors to the grand hall opening in extreme dramatic effect. The Sheriff was seated at the far end of the impractically long dining table, picking at his nails with a dagger. On the table were masses of coins collected from the market, spilling out of their chests and bags.

"What is it, my lord Buckingham? I hope your journey was not disturbed." the sheriff said in many layers of sarcasm.

"It was not! My party was robbed of practically half of its wealth by outlaws!" Buckingham shouted, louder as his anger increased. He walked over to Vaisey and stared him down and pounded his fists on the table, making the coins tremble but not the Sheriff.

The Sheriff looked up ta him with fake concern. "I did inform you of our outlaw problem. It was careless on your part, but I will lend you some men if you wish to attempt to recover you lost property." Vaisey chuckled to himself knowing that there was no chance of him covering it since he himself had never recovered lost taxes taken by Hood.

"Men are useless. When a woman tricks, overtakes, and robs them, they are hesitant to get back out there to fulfill their duty." Buckingham seethed with anger.

The mention of a woman caused Vaisey to become interested. "A woman?"

Unknown to both of the men, a woman was at the outside of the door to the grand hall. Marian was in the castle, meeting her fiancé and so she would have first pick at the market. Her father actually came this time, but was resting in his room. Marian wanted to thank the Sheriff for hs hospitality knowing he probably did not have any knowledge of her presence since his focuses were else where. Announcing her presence would lessen the awkwardness at dinner. Before entering, she paused and listened to the conversation being held.

"Yes. There was a man and a woman. The woman laid in the road, hurt and lost. My men, and I being such a civil man, went out to assist her; she appeared to be a noble. While we did, a man robbed us and filled his bags with treasures. The woman was a distraction and when we finally turned around, we saw him with half of our wealth and running away, but since he had a hood on, we could not see his face. The woman, however I remember her stupid, cursed, pretty face. She stood up and smirked and took out her sword, hidden by her dress and then stole _my own_ sword and easily overtook my men, with the rest fleeing. She grabbed her own bag, holding _my sword at my throat _and filled it with money on my person and the jewels I wore_._ She then ran off to, what I presume, join the man." Buckingham spat on the ground in anger.

"And what did this woman look like?" Vaisey said, looking disgusted at the abuse his freshly polished floor had just received.

"Average height and weight. Pretty thing. Blue eyes and dirty blonde hair, braided back as if she was a noble woman, but she had a lot of overgrown fringe in her face on purpose. She was wearing a dress that could have been a noble's but was probably stolen. Underneath she wore fitted men's trousers. And of course she had the self satisfied smirk." Buckingham wrung his hands in anger.

"I believe you met Alex Hunter, the newest addition to Robin Hood's gang. She is from a mysterious place and was thought to be a witch, but my right hand man has doubts about that. But she is still a disgrace and a troublesome outlaw." At this Marian rolled her eyes.

"I want her captured and turned over to my custody." Buckingham said with a sinister look in his eyes. "Oh what I would do to the little wench."

"Afraid that cannot be done. She is with Hood and therefore, she is always rescued by her friends." Vaisey hopped up and out of his chair so he was now free to roam around the room. He paced about so he stood on the other side of the table from Buckingham. "There also is a rumor that she is having… _relations_ with Hood. Arresting her would only be an invite for everything here to be stolen." Marian was shocked at the mention of the rumor. Of course she had heard whispers of it, but she figured Robin would have told vise say it made it more possible since he was the most well informed man of all of Nottingham, except for Robin. If she did not like Alex before, she now hated her with a fiery passion.

"I want her and Hood then! He was probably the man assisting her. If he loves her, then I will tear her away from him and then make her watch him die. She of course would follow, but only after a lot of pain." Buckingham grinned, his eyes reflecting his lust for blood.

"Oh la di da di da. I will lend you some men, but I have bigger things on my mind, Yes." The Sheriff picked up a shiny coin and held it up to his eye for inspection with a greedy grin.

Buckingham roared in anger and slid all of the chests and bags of coins onto the ground beside Vaisey. "I WANT HER." Buckingham paused for a moment, gathering a little amount of composure. "If you want my help Vaisey, you will help me."

At the moment, Marian entered the Great Hall. She was startled by the loud crash of the coins and entered by accident. "My lord Sheriff." she said looking at the scene before her. Buckingham had a red face, making him even less attractive. Lord Buckingham was a stout man with a belly from years of drinking. He looked like was middle-aged, but he most likely was younger; he had aged from careless behavior and anger issues. He thinning hair was covered with an elaborate hat and his gross body was covered with ornate clothes.

Vaisey looked at the coins spilled on his feet with boredom. He looked up at Marain and replied. "Marian, you are a woman. You must have something in common with Hunter. Any ideas on how to capture her?"

Marian stood there in conflict. She could hardly betray a member of Robin's gang, but she was not a fan of Alex and she was with Robin. Could she destroy Robin's happiness? 'Well, Alex is no good. I don't even know where she is from and she is more foreign in her way than a Saracen. And robbing half of Buckingham's belongings is just reckless. She is more of a danger than a help to the gang. I would be helping them in the end.' Marian took a deep breath and replied. "I am in no way similar to the girl. But she might be at market's opening tomorrow. With the wealth she had just acquired, she might have an end goal of purchasing something of value at the market."

"Finally, someone of use! Vaisey, you and your lieutenant join me in my chamber so we can plan for her demise." Buckingham stored out of the Grand Hall with no other words, ready for revenge.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and plots. I only own my characters. So, here is the second installment of this original episode. The third and final one should be up soon. I really hope I get to finish season 1 this week because it is break for me. I also will be writing another Robin Hood fic that is a crossover, so if you are interested in that, look for it. Knarl, you are amazing and awesome and my number one fan. I just want to clarify, the tragedy I told you a little about, will not be happening here, so do not worry just yet. And my anonymous reviewer, Gg, thank you so much for your support. I am sorry I am slow at updating but I had a lot of projects and tests in the past week. Hopefully this will staisfy you, probably make you have more angst. Follow/favorite/reviews. It really helps. Enjoy!**

Chapter 12

The town square of Nottingham was filled with all sorts of people: the poor, the rich, the locals, the travelers, and the outlaws. It was the busiest the square had ben in a very long time since the usual weekly market was only occupied by very few souls who had the luxury to trade. Many people were shouting about thief very best offers, bargaining with excessive enthusiasm, and people were shoving and complaining as well. Above, in the castle, Buckingham looked down with a snarl placed on his red face, waiting for his plan to be in place.

The outlaws entered the town square, looking out for guards and with hoods up. The guards were all distracted by whatever shiny thing that caught their eye or the annoying drunk visitor that insisted on causing trouble. With the amount of people, even having hoods on seemed pointless.

"Ya know, I better be off." Alex said, taking her hood off and shaking her ouch of coins.

"Keep your hood on! Do you want to be caught?" Little John scolded.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fine. Who is even looking for me? Robin is the one you should worry about." Alex smirked. "Now have fun giving out the merchandise to the poor. I'm off to make some purchases. Come on, Djaq. Have fun boys. Allan."

"Why does Djaq get to go with you?" Much groaned.

"Because I asked her and she agreed." Alex smiled and dragged Djaq, who could only offer a shrug in response.

"So we will be down by three. Great. I can't do everything." Much whined.

"Actually, Will is helpin' me." Allan replied with a grin.

Much rolled his eyes. "Master!"

Robin just chuckled. "It's fine. Have fun. We make our necessary deliveries here just fine." And with that Allan and Will walked off.

"Master! You let Alex and Allan get away with everything!"

"I know. I hope that somehow it will quicken their declarations in love, but it always ends in vain, doesn't it?" Robin replied.

"I think they will never get around to it," Much bitterly replied. "Just to annoy us more."

"Right he is." Little John added.

Alex dragged Djaq along with her, shoving people aside and pushing her way through the crowd until she reach her desired destination. The two reached a small stand where a young woman stood.

"Sarah! How are you? I'm so sorry it took so long to pay you. Ya know, you would think robbing for a living would help." Alex told the woman with a big smile.

"It is alright. You are doing good work with Robin. I have you next order just like you asked." Sarah replied, looking at the girl in admiration. She pulled out a dark brown leather journal, with many pages begging to be filled.

"I cannot thank you enough. Ya know, you are amazing at making these journals, and just in general." Alex got out her pouch and gave Sarah a handful of coins.

"This is too much Alex! Spend it on yourself. Buy something pretty. Living in the Sherwood must be harsh. You deserve it." Sarah said in shock.

"You have a family. I'm just myself. Besides, I have some coins still left over to buy whatever I desire." Alex kept holding out the change and raised her eyebrows.

Sarah sighed and pocketed the money. "Alex, you and your friends are really a blessing here. And you always manage to bring a smile to people's faces."

"I try my best. Now this is Djaq and she was wondering if there were any stands where she may purchase any rare herbs, plants, medicine, or scientific knowledge. I promised I would buy something for her in return for some help."

"It was a lot more than some help." Djaq commented.

"Hey!" Alex yelled, shoving Djaq playfully.

"It's an issue with a man, isn't it?" Sarah said with a grin.

"What makes you think that?!" Alex blushed many shades of red.

Sarah smiled at the young woman. "You have that loving look in your eye. I had that too when I was first in love, but too shy to admit it. Who is the lucky man?"

"I deny everything." "Allan A Dale." the two girls said simultaneously.

Sarah grinned even more. "I heard of the fellow outside and saw from seeing the gang with you. He used to go to taverns all the time, but after you first came here, he hasn't shown up that much." Sarah smiled knowing this different behavior was because of the accused witch.

"Probably cause the Sheriff has a thing about me, adding to his overall hatred of the group. Not really safe for us here. Ya know, we should probably move on. Don't want to get caught now." Alex said, desperate to talk about anything besides Allan.

"Now come by anytime. You know how my little girl loves you. And be careful with the new journal. And yourself. I know the Sheriff isn't particularly happy with you lot robbing the merchants and nobles." Sarah said, wrapping the journal in some simple cloth and handing it to Alex, who then slid it into her side satchel.

"We will all be careful and take care of each other. And this bad boy." Alex said, hitting her satchel for demonstration. "Shall we?" Alex said to Djaq.

"We shall." And the two girls went off, clueless at the coincidental and prophetic truth in Sarah's good bye.

As Alex had bought her gift with extreme ease, Allan was having some difficulty of course.

"Do ya think Alex'll like perfume?" Allan asked Will, taking a sniff of some vial. He instinctively leaned back, wrinkling his face in revulsion at the smell of the liquid in the vial.

"Ya stupid 'oy! That ain't 'erfume!" the vendor said with a cackle. Allan quickly set it down and walked to another stall decorated with colorful and expensive fabrics.

"You are the one in love with her Allan. Shouldn't you know?" Will said to his bewildered friend.

"Ya but I 'aven't tried wooing a gal before, 'ave I?" Allan replied, looking at the fabric with a fake appraising look. He had no idea what to do.

"What does Alex like then?" Will sighed at his helpless friend.

"Writin', music, jokes, readin'. But she already had those things in the 'orest. I need to get 'er somethin' she doesn't 'ave." The two kept moving from stall to stall, looking and glancing and examining anything that caught their eye.

"Well cloth and jewelry is a good idea She does have all those earrings." Will said referring to her scandalous triple piercings.

"Ya, but she doesn't trust the earrin's 'ere. She has some allergy to cheap metal, so when she puts 'em in, they irritate 'er."

"Are they alright with necklaces and stuff like that?'

"Ya, I sup'ose."

"Get her something like that then."

"But it can't be some stupid chain. It has to be meanin'-" Before Allan could finish, he had found it. He eagerly picked it up and held it to his eye.

It was a simple, rectangular, silver pendant. Nothing really special about it, but the engraving caught his eye. The engraving was of a songbird resting on the branch, looking up as if it was about to sing. It perfect. "I'm gettin' this." Allan quickly told the vendor.

"Very good, sir. I see you like the engraving. We can even write a personal message on the back."

"How much is that all gonna cost?" Allan said, already taking his pouch out.

"Hm." The vendor grabbed the pouch from him and weighed it in his hand and looked inside. "This will do, with a few coins left over to get a lovely flower for your lady."

"What about the chain?" Allan asked, ready to bargain.

"Not included, but I can give you a piece of cloth that can be a substitute. Free of charge."

Allan glared at the man for moment before speaking. "Alright. You got a deal."

"Very good sir. I require half of the payment now. You can meet me here at the end of the day and get the pendant in exchange for the rest of the money. Now what do you want engraved?"

"'From Rooster'" Allan replied, grinning at his cleverness. Alex would surely have some sort of feeling, no matter how small, for him now. And that was all he wanted.

"How odd. But vary well." The vendor took out his half of the money and pocketed it and in doing so, carefully pocketed the pendant. "See you tonight, sir."

"Ya. Thanks." Allan turned away and walked away with Will. "If it wasn't for the bloody axe, I could've afforded the chain."

"Ya well, you owed me."

"True." The boy walked along until they saw Djaq and Alex bargaining for some herbs with a vendor. There was a lot of yelling on Djaq's part and Alex was there, ready for backup, but was giggling.

"Djaq. Ya know we can get another herb!" she told her angry friend.

"No! I have only seen this grow in my home. I have to get it. It would be immensely beneficial to us." Djaq replied.

"Alright. Go get it then." Alex said, leaning against a stall.

Will and Allan approached the girls, happy to see them and confused at what they were doing.

"Hey, Rooster. Did you get anything special?"Alex asked him with her true and beautiful smile.

"No. Just wasted it all gamblin'." Allan said, using his already prepared lie.

"I am so glad you do not have Vegas right now." Alex laughed. Will joined Djaq and helped her bargain, but instead of her yelling in Arabic, he calmly talked to the vendor, who finally agreed to Djaq's price.

"Easy as that." Will said.

"You English." Djaq muttered, making everyone laugh.

"So, we have wasted all of our money. Should we join Robin?" Will asked.

"I have one more herb to purchase. It will only take a minute." Djaq said.

"Hardly. Besides, Robin told us they were heading back, but he was quickly going to visit Marian. There are some beggars over there that I'm giving my last coins to. While I do that, Djaq can make her _quick_ purchase. Wanna come with me Rooster?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrow at Allan.

"I got nothin' better to do, Songbird." he said smiling at his fantastic choice.

"Alright then." She said, walking over to the other side of the market, Allan following. Djaq found the next vendor, picked out her desired herb an started yelling at him for a cheaper deal. Will rushed over to assist her.

Alex walked over to the beggars and gave them her few coins and said they were gifts from Robin Hood and winked. Allan stood behind her, proud at how easily she had come into this role.

Will, once again, easily bargained with the vendor, who just anted to rid of the Saracen. They walked over to the front gate, where Robin was waiting for them, with his hood up. The two followed his example and disguised themselves.

"How was Marian?" Will asked. "Any trouble?"

"None. The Sheriff of course was irritated with our success, but none of the nobles pose a threat to any of us." he replied.

"That's good. And surprising." Djaq responded.

"Which is why I am waiting for all of us to leave in a large group. Something isn't right, but Marian would never lie to me."

Alex and Allan looked over and saw the group waiting for them in the shadows. "You go ahead and meet them, Rooster. I could have sworn there was one last coin in here. I will catch up with you." she told him.

"You sure?" he asked, with an eerie feeling something bad was going to happen.

"Of course. Go on. I'll just be a minute." Allan nodded and started heading towards them, bobbing and weaving through the crowd and the market. Alex dug through her bag looking for a coin, completely unaware how exposed she was and the amount of men looking for her. And of the angry scowl looking at her from above, moving its fingers ordering men.

She finally found the coin and gave it a young boy, saying it was from Robin Hood, and received a big smile, revealing missing teeth, in exchange. She smiled back and started heading towards her friends. She saw the all waiting for her in the shadows as she was walking out in the open. She was somewhat wary, but they had made it this far into the day. What harm could be done now?

Only the harm of careful plotting and planning could be done. As she was nearly halfway to her friends, a guard screamed. "SEIZE HUNTER!"

Suddenly guards, both in uniform and disguised, reached for her and grabbed her. She began to fight them off, but twenty on one was an impossible odd so she quickly surrendered.

Robin, Will, Djaq, and especially Allan looked at the scene in horror. Alex was forced to kneel on the ground, and after that they couldn't see her because of the mass of guards surrounding her. Allan began to run towards her, but Robin held him back.

"I have to 'elp 'er!" he shouted, as Will began holding him back as well.

"How will getting arrested help her?!" Allan kept looking at the mase before him. People were screaming and fleeing the scene. He prayed that Alex wasn't being hurt and wasn't screaming. He glared at Robin, a look that begged him to go. "Allan. We will rescue her. This was planned! They waited for her to be alone!"

"All the more reason we should 'elp 'er!"

"Allan," Djaq said, resting her hand on his arms that was tense and his hand was in a fist. "She can take care of herself. We will rescue her. Let's just get away to the camp before we get arrested ourselves."

He continued staring at the horrific and nightmarish event before him. He was sure this was a nightmare he had once, but of course he awoke to find Alex next to him. This was real and she was so far away from him now. The guards lifted her up, and he could see her as she was processed away. She looked fine, except for a bruise on her cheek and a small cut there. She saw him and looked at him, telling him to go. He nodded, his fist clenched and he was ready for blood. But he would wait.

"Come on." Will order his friend. Allan pushed everyone off of him and he stormed towards the forest, ready to kill whoever was responsible for this.

Alex had her hands shackled behind her back and was being shoved towards the Grand Hall. Her cheek was throbbing with pain and she could feel the small drops of blooding dripping down. Despite her fear and her pain, she focused herself to think calmly about the situation. Nothing made sense. This clearly was a set up and they waited for her to be alone. They didn't shout to capture Hood, but to get her, Hunter. Why her? Besides some snarky and personal comments and how she arrived in Nottingham, she wasn't the most important person in the gang. That spot was always reserved for Robin. 'What would the Sheriff want with me?' she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she was shoved onto the ground before the Sheriff, who was slouching, disinterested in his throne. She caught herself on the ground and sat up and made eye contact with him. He boredly rolled his eyes and looked over to a man who was sitting at a long table, anger and disgust radiating off of him.

"Nice to see you again, Hunter. How's the forest treating you?" The Sheriff asked as he walked over to his angry partner. Alex just stared at the two ugly men. "Now, I understand that you and your _lover_ robbed my very good friend here, hm? Very naughty of you. And what shall be your punishment?" he continued

"I deny everything, especially the lover part." Alex said. 'I can't believe that my thing with Allan has reached the Sheriff. This is not good. Does he know? And why does angry face look so familiar.' she thought to herself.

"You stole from me and now you will pay the price, girl!" the angry man yelled. He stood up in a rush and brought out a rich and extravagant dagger and quickly yanked her head back by pulling on her head and held the pointed tip so it pressed on her throat. Not enough to kill, but a few drops of blood were drawn.

"Buckingham, my friend. Allow my torturer to do this for you. We need her alive for a while to catch Hood and hopefully some other member of your gang, hm?" the Sheriff said. Buckingham looked at him for a minute, thinking and then let the girl go. Alex was shoved onto the ground an she barely had enough time to catch herself. She sat up once again, lifting her callused fingers to her throat, causing the shackles binding her to rattle, and removed them with a red stain on them.

"I want her to suffer, Vaisey! She stole half of my values with her scum of a lover." the angry lord replied.

"That's where I know you from." Alex muttered to herself, recalling the events of th easy before where she and Allan had earned their crowns.

"And she will. Gisbourne, take her to the dungeon." Vaisey ordered his right man. Gisbourne emerged from his dark corner Alex had not noticed before and lifted her up to her feet harshly.

"Hello again, Hunter." he spat out as he lead her into the bowels of the castle.

"Nice to see you, Guyliner. Missed me?" Alex smirked, earning a slap from him

"Hood is not going to rescue you this time. I have made sure of that." he smiled sinisterly.

"What makes you think I need rescuing?" Alex spat out from the pain. Gisbourne lifted his hand once more, prepared to strike, but when Alex flinched away, he just lowered it, snickering.

"They say the third time being arrested is the worst. I will make sure of that, Hunter." he commented.

"They? You must have a lot of outlaws escape then to make that comment." she smirked and was shoved into her cell. She caught herself against the damp and rotting stone wall and turned around to face Gisbourne. He saw that he held her satchel with her precious gift and a simple dagger. He searched through it by spilling out the content on the floor.

"No tools for your witchcraft this time. Have you stopped your black arts for a certain someone?" he asked with a dark laugh.

"I was never a witch. Ya know, I feel like I'm 17 and in college again with you guys." Alex smirked. Guy only replied by kicking her bag and her precious journal into the other cell. He kicked the dagger to the jailor, who picked it up out of fear of the leather clad man's wrath. Alex just glared at him in response. "With what Buckingham has in store for you, I doubt you will have a formal execution." Guy then slammed the cell door, leaving Alex registering how much in trouble she really was in this time.

Alex had never actually been tortured before. he almost was with Djaq, but Marian had saved them. She would surely save her this time. She obviously would have heard about her capture from all the boasting by the Sheriff and Buckingham and would help her in some way even though they weren't exactly pals. Alex also knew she couldn't face torture. She would break quickly. She of course in sports had developed some tolerance from all of the bruises, but this was medieval torture. This had essentially set the standard for extreme, but not that effective, torture. It is famous for the sadistic pleasure torturers get from it. She had already received more abuse than both times combined. She had never been hit, slapped, and a dagger had pierced the skin of her throat. Buckingham was a merciless man. Her only hope was Marian.

Alex paced, paced, and paced for about hour. Marian did not come with no message, no plan, and no words of comfort. Her time was running out before the torturer would arrive. She knew that they were waiting for some type of rescue, but Alex was true to her word; she didn't need one. She waited till the jailor was in the other corridor of the jail and she pulled out a bobby pin from her hair and started working on the lock on her shackles. "Thank you Will and your boring and tedious lessons." she said to herself. She managed to pick the lock from her shackles and then moved to the cell's lock. It took more time and she had to stop when the jailor returned and taunted her, but once he left again she was free. She quickly went over to the cell contains her satchel and gift and grabbed it. She placed it in the bag and threw the start over her head and was ready to be off. She grabbed her dagger that was on the jailor's small and pathetic desk and started heading out of the dungeon. She had he dagger at the ready. Though she much preferred her sword, she was handy with a dagger as well. As long as she wasn't forced to use the bow, she could get out easily.

She carefully dodged guards and nobles and merchants occupying the castle until she reach the exit. All she had to do was run through the courtyard and then she would be home free. The only issue was the small army of guards as the exit and surrounding the courtyard. She had to find another way. 'I need, though I hate to admit it, help from Marian. She could find another exit or get a message to Allan and the gang.' she thought. She then went up several other floors, looking for any sign of Marian, wary of any one passing by. The dungeon was not her favorite place and she wasn't keen on returning there with the threat, no promise, of dying under the knife of a torturer looming over her head. On the third floor, where some of the short term guests were staying, she saw Marians figure walking down the hall and entering a room from her hidden spot around the corner. Alex looked around for guards and anyone who would scream at the sight of her. She was safe for the moment and entered the room, barely grabbing the door before it shut.

"Marian?" Alex whispered. She saw the well-off noble stiffen as she said this.

Marian did not want to see or help Alex. She was not going to do anything for her in this case, except maybe attend her execution. She quickly turned around and snapped at the outlaw, "What are you doing here?! You could get me in trouble!" She went over and looked into the empty hallway and then shut the door.

"Ya know, I wouldn't be here asking you for help if it wasn't bad. I can't escape through the courtyard. The Sheriff and that ass Buckingham has made sure of that. I need you to get me out or get a message to Robin that I am fine for now."

"And why should I help you, some love-sick fool?" Marian spat out.

"Is there some version of Gossip Girl here I don't know about? Does everyone know about my… relations with a certain smug member of the gang?" Alex asked walking over to the window and looking down below at the mass of guards with orders to kill her.

"Gossip Girl? Where are you from?" Marian asked, crossing her arms and and sighing out of aggravation.

"Irrelevant right now. Will you help me?" Alex asked her with frantic eyes.

"No. I am done helping Robin, his friend, and _you._" Marian said, sitting down at her vanity, brushing her dark hair.

Alex stood in shock at what was being said by Marian. Though they weren't friends, they both had the same mission. "I don't understand. Wasn't it just a week ago you were happily helping us by giving us information on Malik and bantering with Robin?"

"I am done." Marian stated once more.

"Did we do anything wrong? Did I do anything to make you hate me more?"

"You did what you did. I just see no reason to invest in your gang after hearing how well your courtship- if it is even that, you probably have already given yourself away- is doing."

"First of all, I don't understand why my romantic life would affect you in away way! I expect something more resolute from you. Second, are you calling me a whore?" Alex said, now standing behind the noble woman with her grip tightening on her dagger.

"Do not play stupid with me!" Marian said, standing up and facing Alex.

"I'm much smarter than you." Alex said. She thought about what was going on. 'I never imagined the Maid Marian being such a little-'

"Prove that you are so much smarter since you are from such a mysterious land then." Marian replied, challenging her and interrupting her thoughts.

"I am going to escape with no help from you." Alex said with a slight smirk. "Or well a little." Alex then kicked the door open and grabbed Marian so she held a dagger a few inches away from her throat. She walked out in the corridor with Marian struggling against her tight grip right as Guy was going to visit her.

"Hey Guyliner. Looks like I have something of yours?" Alex yelled at the dark man.

"Hunter." he growled. "Let her go." He nodded for the guard accompanying him to get more men.

"As annoying as she is, she's my ticket out of here." Alex eyed the arriving guards, all with swords in their hands. "You let me get through the two gate, I'll let her walk back through. No harm done."

Gisbourne paused, thinking of whether or not to take the deal. Before he could make decision, Marian screamed and elbowed Alex into the stomach and then punched her jaw, sending her to the floor.

"I believe you should be more careful with your prisoners, Sir Guy." Marian said, glaring down at Alex and hen walking back into her room with her head held high.

Guy stood in awe of his fiance, but quickly turned his attention to the scum on the floor. Alex pushed herself up, and rubbed her good-now bad jaw. No real damage, but she really didn't want to deal with any more abuse to her body. Ironically, the abuse was inevitable now. Guy grabbed her roughly and led her back to her doom.

'Well, everyone except Allan knows I love him, Marain hates my and Robin's guts for no reason, and I am going to die a very painful death.' Alex thought in-between winces of pain, 'How long ago was I back home, in 2015, where life-threatening meant an all-nighter during exams?'

"We 'ave got to save 'er!" Allan yelled to Robin as they walked into their camp.

"No one is disagreeing with you, Allan! We just need to think about this."

"It's Alex! We 'ave to go back and save 'er as quickly as possible. She could be really 'urt." Allan kept yelling.

"What about Alex?" Much asked.

Allan just groaned and sat down next to the fire, throwing his cloak on the ground and he held his head in his hands, absolutely diminished. His usually happy self was gone and only Alex and her laugh and smile could bring it back.

Will went over to his friend and Djaq left to put her things away as Robin explained the situation to Much and Little John. "She was walking towards us in the market after giving some alms to the poor. All of the sudden the guards were ordered to capture her, just her. They quickly got her and took her away. We only saw a glimpse of her as she was taken away. She's alright as far as we know."

"But for 'ow much longer?!" Allan shouted to no one in particular in response to Robin's comment.

"We will get her back. This is the third time she's been in this situation. She will be fine. It's Alex; she always is." Will said in a comforting tone.

"Ya don't know that for sure. She's a woman! She won't be able to 'andle the torture. They could- ya know. I shoulda stayed with 'er. It's all my fault." Allan moaned.

"Now, not everything is about you Allan." Much commented, "I'm sure they would have taken Alex no matter what; and if you were with her, you would be arrested too."

"At least then I coulda protected 'er, or died tryin'!" Allan yelled.

"Allan! Just shut up!" Little John screamed. Everyone turned to look at him in shock; Allan's mouth hung open. "Moaning is not going to get her back."

"Precisely. This is why I am going to see Marian and get information." Robin said.

"The castle is filled with guards with all the nobles visiting. It's too dangerous." Will replied.

"Which is why I am going alone. All of you remain here."

"No. I am goin' to get 'er out myself." Allan said, standing up and grabbing all the weapons he possessed.

"No, you, especially you, are staying here." Robin ordered.

"You can't stop me. I already lost me brother because of you; I am not loosin' the woman I love!" Allan screamed.

"I promise you, we will save her." Robin replied, trying to comfort his friend.

"Maybe this time you should double check the time of the hangin'." Allan replied with a bitterness never seen in him before. Robin was taken aback. He knew he had failed Allan with Tom, but there was nothing he could have done. He thought Allan had forgiven him, but apparently not.

"Allan, this is different. I will not make that mistake again." Robin replied, with hurt in his eyes.

"You act like a hero all the time, but in these cases, I can't trust ya to follow through." Allan began to walk towards Nottingham.

"Allan! Think about this!" Robin yelled after him.

"All I am thinkin' about is 'er being hurt or worse!" he replied, stopping and facing him.

"I know! But we need to think!" Robin yelled. Little John began walking towards Allan as the distraught approached Robin.

"We need to take action!" Allan began walking again, but Little John walked him on the head with his staff, making him fall unconscious.

"Was that necessary John?" Robin asked his tall friend.

"Never trust a love sick man to listen to reason." was his only reply. Robin sighed and lifted up his friend. 'I better find Marian fast.'


End file.
